from NY Times...cheers Ken Hanly Advocates of drug policy reform were firmly rebuffed, after >several years of winning initiatives around the country. >Voters in Nevada rejected a proposal to legalize small >amounts of marijuana, 61 percent to 39 percent, and Ohio >residents turned down a requirement that nonviolent drug >offenders receive treatment instead of jail. However, the >District of Columbia approved a pro-treatment measure. > >Ethan Nadelman, executive director of the Drug Policy >Alliance, said advocates may have overreached in Nevada, >which is among the states he called most receptive to >marijuana use. "It's a case of an initiative being put to >the voters ahead of its time," he said. > >Oregon voters resoundingly defeated two health-related >initiatives that captured national attention and even drew >financing from supporters and opponents overseas. > >A proposal to provide universal health care reprised many >of the debates over President Bill Clinton's national >overhaul effort a decade ago. The plan would have replaced >existing health insurance with a statewide program at a >cost of as much as $1.7 billion in new taxes the first >year. Health care and insurance interests rallied against >the initiative, Measure 23. > >"As soon as Oregonians got beneath the surface of Ballot >Measure 23, they realized how flawed it was," said Dave >Fiskum, a spokesman for Oregon Against Unhealthy Taxes, >after the initiative was defeated 79 percent to 21 percent. >"It would have imposed a huge tax burden on individuals and >businesses throughout the state. Many companies would have >been forced to close their doors for good." > >A second Oregon proposal, to require the labeling of food >products that contain genetically altered ingredients, was >trounced by a similar margin. That initiative pitted >organic farmers and consumer groups - with advertisements >by Paul McCartney - against American and European >agribusiness companies. > >Christie Quirk, a Democratic pollster who was not involved >in either initiative, said their proponents were >overwhelmed by industry's deep pockets. > >"So much money was spent against them," Ms. Quirk said, >though she also faulted advocates as hastily drafting the >health care measure. > >Ms. Quirk voiced pessimism that similar proposals would >emerge anytime soon, despite considerable support in polls >for change. "If they go down by large margins," she said, >"the issues become toxic."
