My sincere apologies to Mr. Halfhill for the late response. His March 13 e-mail wound up in the SPAM file maintained by my ISP and I just cleaned it out this morning.
A couple of quick points: The two references to "... self appointed committee ..." are not correct. The Minneapolis Charter Commission members are all appointed by the Chief Judge of Hennepin County District Court. The statement "initiative, referendum and charter amendments were intended to let the voters act when their elected representative won't ..." is also incorrect. Minneapolis does not have a mechanism for ballot initiative or referendum to make ordinances or overturn ordinances. The city charter amendment process IS NOT a substitute for initiative and referendum and was never imagined as such! The charter amendment process was created - like that in any other foundational document - to allow for changes in city governance, city structure, or city operations that the charter could not have contemplated and to acknowledge that future citizens/city councils may wish to change or modify the governance, structure, operations of the city specified in the charter. Even if the sale and distribution of marijuana for medicinal purposes was legal in Minnesota, specifying the process and regulating it in Minneapolis should be provided for by ordinance not the city charter! Since it is currently illegal however, one must remember that the City Charter cannot permit what state law forbids. And, it was the City Council heeding the legal advice from the City Attorney and the recommendation of the Charter Commission that determined the fate of medicinal marijuana proposal - not a "self appointed committee"! Jim Bernstein Fulton Chair, Minneapolis Charter Commission -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, March 13, 2005 8:31 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [email protected]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [Mpls] Minnesotans favor medical marijuana two-to-one Say what you will, you have constituted yourself as a self appointed committee that can overrule the voters and refuse to even consider proposals that the required 5% of the voters have petitioned to put on the ballot. Initiative, referendum and charter amendments were intended to let the voters act when their elected representative won't and it defeats their purpose to have self appointed committees thwarting the will of the voters who have petitioned to put a proposal on the ballot. Hopefully, the voters will have something to say about you people this fall. Robert Halfhill Loring Park http://halfhillviews.greatnow.com http://www.thepen.us/e-fraud.html REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.7.2 - Release Date: 3/11/2005 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.9.6 - Release Date: 4/11/2005 REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
