Councilors, I did not hear where the discussion went today about putting RMJ on the ballot and I dont think I can make it tomorrow (family matters to attend to) but I wanted to reach out again about this issue. You all know how I feel about this so I will keep it brief. We need the tax dollars and I dont see anyone else with a better plan of bringing in new sales tax money and jobs. (C4C will not be viable for at least 5 years if at all.) Councilor Knight was on the news expressing his concern over the cost of putting this on the ballot. I have a solution. Why not vote to APPROVE RMJ and follow the will of the people. I especially implore Councilor Snider to vote as the city voted since he is an at large councilor. I know that there are concerns about the big bad FED, but as Ive stated in the past, YOU are how our voice is amplified to the federal government and all the major changes and shifts that have happened have happened because the people demanded it and if WE demand it then our elected officials should too. The military argument is shameful and every service member I have spoken to about the fact that they are being used as an excuse for banning RMJ feels betrayed by those who use them as scapegoats. They are better than that frankly and it is beneath you all to hide behind their supposed inability to control themselves as a reason for your stance against this now legal substance. As you know I work in Manitou and I have been asked over a dozen times in the last 4 days where to buy RMJ. The people who asked me were all well dressed, articulate and older than me. Your fear of the pot tourist problem is a myth. I want to thank the four of you who have been supportive of the voters in this matter. Please consider voting to approve RMJ soon so it doesnt have to go on the ballot again. No one wants to cost the city more money (after all it is OUR tax money) but the writing is on the wall. Either you guys approve it, place it on the ballot or the people will place it themselves. Lastly I would like to repeat a point I have made in the past. There are a lot of young people and even people my age who really think that their votes dont matter. Many of them got engaged in politics because of RMJ and instead of seeing that their vote DID count you proved that they were right all along and now they have lost the small bit of trust in the system that they gained when A64 passed. In their mind you ignored them and shut out their voices proving that the system doesnt work. To me that is a travesty of immense proportions. Maybe you side with Paul Weyrich on not wanting everyone to vote, but I do. Sorry, this wasnt as brief as I had planned and I sure hope at least a couple of you read this to make my time not feel wasted. Thank you all for your service. Lorena Townsend P.S Just in case you dont know who Paul Weyrich is https://youtube/watch?v=ub26kLEfphw
Posted on: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 06:20:54 +0000