Pubdate: Thu, 22 Jan 2015
Source: Janesville Gazette (WI)
Copyright: 2015 Bliss Communications, Inc
Contact: http://www.gazetteextra.com/contactus/lettertoeditor.asp
Website: http://www.gazetteextra.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1356
Author: Gary Storck

POMMER STRIKES OUT IN COLUMN ON POLICING

If any journalist needs to stick to the facts, the "dean of the state
Capitol correspondents," Matt Pommer, has a special need to be accurate.

But accuracy was sorely lacking in his recent opinion piece,
"Community policing under fire in Madison."

Pommer notes that the Dane County Board rejected a federal grant, the
"Cannabis Enforcement And Suppression Effort" (CEASE), but goes on to
wrongly state "the grant provides money to fight heroin, other drugs
and gun traffic."

Not true. The $5000 federal grant was solely for cannabis
eradication.

The actual wording from the Dane County website for 2014 RES-351
states: "The primary goal of the CEASE Program is to augment local law
enforcement efforts in locating indoor and outdoor marijuana grow
operations and arrest those responsible. The CEASE Program also
provides support for the eradication of noncultivated, wild marijuana."

Note there is no mention of heroin or other drugs.

The county board showed both forward thinking and respect for its
constituents in voting to turn down these funds. As Pommer noted, 65
percent of Dane County voters supported an advisory referendum on
legalizing cannabis. In November 2010, 75.49 percent of Dane County
voters supported an earlier advisory referendum on legalizing medical
cannabis.

Pommer owes readers a retraction.

GARY STORCK

Madison

Co-founder, Is My Medicine Legal YET?

Co-founder, Madison & Wisconsin chapters of the National Organization
for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML)
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MAP posted-by: Matt