Post Election Update for New York
by Chris Pan
posted at DrugWar.com Nov. 12, 2002
Since the media failed to report on the dynamics
of New York's election, here's a quick update.
All the independent parties lost their ballot
line except for billionaire Tom Golisano's Independence Party.
In a field of 8 parties, Tom Leighton's Medical Marijuana Reform
Party (MRP) came in sixth with over 22,000 votes. It's a great
number of votes, considering the MRP's campaign cost only about
8,000 dollars with the help of volunteers against the 40 million
George Pataki, 15 million Carl McCall campaigns and Tom Golisano
who outspent both major parties. Power is as ever delegated by
the wealthy in a plutocracy that calls itself a 'democracy.'
After doing some field research, it turns
out the majority of eligible voters did not vote out of apathy
or disgust with politics. Most people thought they didn't have
a choice and were not informed by the broadcasting media industry
that contributes to the million dollar campaigns. It's a deregulated
'Catch 22'.
Meanwhile Democrat McCall tried to shut out
the independent parties from debate. The Democrats have lost their
way and now the Republicans can take the blame for what lies ahead.
As for the MRP and the common sense movement
to legalize medical marijuana, the issue is now on the table.
Thanks to the combined efforts of the Libertarian, Green and particularly
the Marijuana Reform Party, all politicians in NY realize the
humane policy of legalizing medical marijuana is a winning political
campaign issue. Golisano realized this after the first debate
and spent untold amounts on pro-medical marijuana commercials
as his percentage points went up.
Though there are more pharmaceutical industry
lobbyists than there are members of Congress, Golisano's money
aired the fact that the major parties are controlled by pharmaceutical
industry campaign contributions that fight against medical marijuana
because they think it threatens their monopoly on prescription
drugs.
In Golisano's concession speech, he said
the most moving moment in his campaign was when he was surrounded
by seriously ill patients who needed medical marijuana to alleviate
nausea to live. He said the Press Corps was practically in tears.
The mainstream media, not interested in freedom
of the press because of their own special interests, censored
his speech in the days following the election. As John Adams wrote
"Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge
among the people." Regardless, because of the efforts of
the independents and the MRP, the issue of medical marijuana in
NY is now in the public consciousness, presenting an opportune
time to do a search on the internet and urge our representatives
to debate the issue.
Though my good friend Tom Leighton is heart
broken at not getting the 50,000 votes to become an official New
York State political party, I hope he will realize his efforts
were not in vain. Politics aside, I hope you can join us Wednesday
at the Elbow Room (in NYC on Bleecker St.) to honor that which
has died and celebrate the power of untouchable rock and roll.
Only the best,
Chris Pan
www.thepan.com
