DM>SR>"Probably one hell of a fire sale (before the ordinance is adopted)," 
e
  >SR>said.  "I'd probably do a year's worth of business in a couple of 
s."
DM>       Now I know what the problem with the lawyers is.
Hi Dennis,
Yeah, they really liked that fire sale remark.  Over the weekend, this
is what they had to say about it in my girlfriend's town:
Newspaper Editorial
===================
Why banning the bong is the right thing to do
Storm Lake (Ia) Pilot-Tribune Commentary 12/21/96, pg 4A
Despite the spray of protests with various degrees of authenticity from
one retailer, area community Spencer should be congratulated for voting
to ban sales of some 20 items commonly used in the preparation, distri-
bution, consumption or concealing drugs.
Rainy Day Music co-owner Steve Ross says the vote is "anti-business."
He says that although his store openly deals in some of the drug para-
pernalia-in fact, the items make up a "large portion of he store's income,"
according to a Spencer newspaper report-he doesn't "endorse" drug use.
What?  And we suppose Regis doesn't endorse Kathie Lee.  Is a dealer in
drug paraphernalia so much different that (sic) a dealer in drugs?
The businessman also protests that 1. we don't need more regulations-
generally true; 2. that such a law would hurt business-darn, the bong
and roach slip market might slip on us; 3. that banning legal sale of
drug use items will just create a "black market" for them-granted.
We faced a similar issue several years ago, as efforts started to make
clean needles available to drug addicts.  This newspaper took a lot of
heat for supporting that concept, but our hope is that such an effort
will help us to identify and help addicts, who would otherwise be at the
heart of spread of AIDS from dirty needles.  If a clean needle buys us
a little time to try to save someone, and the other option is death in
a geometric and contageous progression, that seems to us very different
that (sic) regulating for-profit sale of items used in the drug trade.
The one Spencer city council member who voted against the paraphernalia
ban is an attorney who feels such a local law is unnecessary and said
he has seen no evidence that prohibiting the sale of drug paraphernalia
will prevent drug abuse.  Whoever said it would?
Frankly, we have trouble following that logic.
Area communities invest vast amounts of effort and money every year to
educate against drug abuse, enforce drug trafficking laws, and try to
heal some of the societal damage done by drug abuse on so many levels.
To have drug paraphernalia sold openly is a slap in the face to all who
are involved in those efforts.  We believe that communities do have the
right to play a role in deciding what services they do and do not want
for the future of that community.  They may not want a porno store across
from their school, and they may not want bongs sold from glass cases on
their main streets.  Don't they have "rights" to speak up, too?
Wise businesspeople will do what Ross says he will-comply with the wishes
of his community (although in this case, it will apparently come after
"one hell of a fire sale" on such items before the Spencer ordinance can
be passed.)
No, it would be utterly foolish to believe that stopping the few northwest
Iowa sources of visible, legal sales of drug paraphernalia is going to
solve our youth drug problems, or even make a dent in them.  It does
however send a message that we are serious about our communities' stance
toward drugs and are not willing to look the other way for those who would
take advantage of others' addictions for profit.
This kind of action is no replacement for education, prevention and treat-
ment programs.  But it doesn't hurt.
If many more communities follow Spencer's lead and make it stick, we might
not convert drug addicts, but we may make it bit (sic) less convenient for
others to start.  And we may appear a little less the hypocrites-preaching
about the dangers of drug abuse to our kids while they can legally shop
for drug paraphernalia in our own hometowns.
========================================================================
 * SLMR 2.1a *  Trouble with you is the trouble with me  Grateful Dead
--- ProBoard v2.02g4 [Reg]
---------------