TAKING THE INITIATIVE, NOTHING SUCCEEDS LIKE SUCCESS

At the end of 2004 in Detroit and Ann Arbor, marijuana policy reformers racked up two big ballot initiative wins in the conservative, American Heartland. As icing on the cake, Detroit and Ann Arbor are located in Southeast Michigan, the population and media epicenter of the state.

One result of these victories was a surge of interest in Michigan NORML, some of whose key leaders and grassroots activists took a direct role on the front lines. People from other Michigan cities clamored to start initiatives of their own, asking Chuck Ream or me to lead initiatives in their communities.

Some of who were seeking advice and assistance were unsuited by temperament, and/or lack of social, political and organizational skills. With respect to Chuck or me leading reform efforts in communities other than our own, this was impossible for use directly.

The famous words of former US House Speaker, Thomas "Tip" O'Neil, that "all politics is local," could not be more true then in the ballot initiative arena.

First, in a purely legal sense, the charters of many municipalities (especially in smaller communities) require signature gatherers to be registered to vote in the city.

Second, as explained earlier, ballot initiatives sponsored by grassroots reformers are virtually always despised, resented and feared by elected officials and their associates in the administration, corporate and media elite. These powerbrokers have their own subculture of followers in the community who are dependent upon them for jobs, government contracts, access, titles and ego perks of every kind. Fighting this elite and their sycophants is tough - even when you live in and know the community well. Unless you get their blessing (and this is always a good idea if possible) these folks consider you an "outsider," even when you actually live there!

In Detroit, for instance, CADCA's final desperate attack line got very personal, accusing me of being a white person living in an 85% black city (guilty). I was, therefore, still an "outsider" who had no right to speak for the majority/minority population. (In my case, this attack line was mostly blunted by various black and white community leaders in Detroit, who had known me for years and knew the truth.)

A genuine outsider will find it extremely difficult to go into a community, in which he/she does not live, and lead a ballot initiative to successful completion. Unless a qualified leader can be found in a target community, the pragmatic political reformer will not even begin such an effort.

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