Sensible Joplin: Joplin city council candidates, for the April 8th election, speak out on Joplin Sensible Sentencing Initiative

All interview excerpts taken from the Joplin Globe article titled, "Joplin City Council candidate Q & A with Dave Woods w/ candidate interview audio" that was published online 3/21/08 at the following link: http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/local_story_081090128.html

Questions for the council possibles concerned economic development, tax breaks for business at the expense of school district coffers, downtown revitalization, annexation, pot decriminalization and how we elect Joplin’s mayor.

Candidates were not informed of the questions prior to setting down to record the interviews.

Morris Glaze

Dave Woods: Do you support the placing of the Joplin Sensible Initiative that seeks to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana and the paraphernalia used to smoke it on the November ballot in Joplin?

Morris Glaze: That is probably umm something I wouldn’t sign but I do know there are citizens on both sides of the issue and I think it should be supported by the voters.

DW: Uh, the placing it on the ballot?

MG: That would be up to the signature getters.

DW: Would you actively campaign against the initiative?

MG: No that is an individual’s decision there; I mean that’s not for a city councilman to voice his opinion on.

DW: And if passed by the majority of voters then would you work to ensure the will of the people would be carried out by the council on which you sat?

MG: The majority of voters is a rule that we have to support.

William "Bill" Screace

Dave Woods: Do you support the placing of the Joplin Sensible Initiative that seeks to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana and the paraphernalia used to smoke it on the November ballot in Joplin?

William "Bill" Screace: That’s not an issue that Joplin c-can develop. My understanding is that the city of Joplin can only pass laws that are allowed under state law. And marijuana possession and use, except in cases of…I don’t even know. I’ve never even heard of this before. I’ve never been approached about it. But I do know that as a municipality we can only pass those laws that the state allows us to pass. And I do not believe, without doing some research that the state will allow us to pass a legalizing of marijuana in our community when you can’t do it any place else in the state.

DW: If I could just point out that it’s not legalization, it decriminalization and the city of Columbia passed a similar ordinance not long ago.

WBS: What do you mean decriminaliz (inaudible)…make it legal?

DW: Uh no they reduce it from a..and this is not me advocating for it I’m just trying to explain…

WBS: yah I know…

DW: They uh, decriminalize it where it is no longer is an offense, it is simply a violation like a traffic ticket, you would be uh… no jail time, you would be issued a citation. It would not count as a criminal infraction on your record.

WBS: Until the state decriminalizes it I would not be in favor of decriminalizing as a community. I don’t care what Columbia’s done.

DW: Would you actively campaign against it?

WBS: No I wouldn’t actively campaign against. If the citizens of Joplin wanted to vote on it, I would be an advocate of them to vote on it. If they wanna provide an initiative and they get, whoever is doing this, and they get the number of signatures on a petition I would certainly be in favor of the citizens’ voting on it. I think anytime citizens vote on anything you are better off as a government then if you make that decision arbitrarily by yourself.

Keenan Cortez

Dave Woods: Do you support the placing of the Joplin Sensible Initiative that seeks to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana and the paraphernalia used to smoke it on the November ballot in Joplin?

Keenen Cortez: (laugh) Wow. Legalizing marijuana or small amounts of marijuana or any type of drug I think is the definitely the wrong direction to go. That is an illegal substance. It needs to remain an illegal substance if its 5lbs or 5grams of it. There is no way we can as a society feel safe in our homes and function properly if were going to legalize any amount of an illegal substance.

DW: So you don’t see any difference in legalization and decriminalization?

KC: I don’t see any difference.

DW: So you would not support placing this on the ballot for Joplin voters to speak their peace on?

KC: No.

DW: Would you actively campaign against it?

KC: Umm I would probably choose a very very neutral position on it but with the personal stance that the decriminalization of any illegal substance will not help this community in any way.

DW: And if passed by the majority of voters then would you work to ensure the will of the people is carried out as a council member?

KC: Absolutely, if the citizen’s of Joplin feel necessary to vote me in to the city council, which I am hoping for and counting on, then the ultimate purpose of me being there is to serve the citizen’s of Joplin.

Veda Boyd Jones

Dave Woods: Do you support the placing of the Joplin Sensible Initiative that seeks to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana and the paraphernalia used to smoke it on the November ballot in Joplin?

Veda Boyd Jones: I always support the citizen’s of Joplin having a voice in any type of legislation, so, if they can get it on a ballot, if they can get enough names on a petition, I say put it on ballot and let the people speak. We are a democracy and it starts at this level.

DW: How would vote if you had to face that in the ballot booth?

VBJ: Well and that is why we have the private ballot isn’t it. I ..um.. I would have to think on that.

DW: Do you believe you would actively campaign against it?

VBJ: I would not actively campaign, one way or the other.

DW: Ok, if passed by voters would you work to ensure the will of the people would be carried out?

VBJ: Absolutely.

Bob Harrington

Dave Woods: Do you support the placing of the Joplin Sensible Initiative that seeks to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana and the paraphernalia used to smoke it on the November ballot in Joplin?

Bob Harrington: No I do not.

DW: Would you vote for it if it were on the ballot?

BH: No I would not.

DW: Would you actively campaign against it?

BH: I don’t know that I would actively campaign against it. It’s not something that I believe in. If somebody asked my opinion I will give it to them. But as far as actively arguing against, no I would not.

DW: And passed by the majority of voters then would you work to ensure the will of the people is carried out?
BH: Yes.