In Washington and around the country, opioid abuse is a serious problem. A King County task force is recommending cities open “safe” injection sites where users can inject themselves with an illegal and deadly substance under supervision of a government paid physician or nurse. With the help of Representatives Sullivan, Reeves and Pelliccotti, Seattle Liberals are moving forward with heroin injection sites.
Last week, Rep. Drew Stokesbary and House Republicans proposed an amendment that would prohibit any municipality from establishing these so-called “safe” injection sites. The House Speaker did not allow the amendment to be heard on the House Floor. The Democrat Representatives from South King County could have demanded this amendment be heard, but when it mattered they did not stand up for their constituents.
.@WAHouseDems refuse to allow a vote on this amendment, and cut off my mic for discussing heroin injection on bill about opioids. #waleg https://t.co/61tp7Gc8Mv
— Drew Stokesbary (@stokesbary) March 3, 2017
Speaker Chopp and House Democrats prevented the amendment from being brought to the House Floor by using a cheap parliamentary trick. Democrats deemed that Rep. Stokesbary’s amendment concerning opioid injection sites was not within scope of the original bill…a bill concerning opioid treatment programs.
Republicans believe that compassion for an opioid user is not a government sponsored slow march to death, but getting them treatment. The amendment was similar to a bill sponsored by Senator Miloscia that passed off of the Senate Floor last Thursday.
Photo credit: Sawbuck Productions
Funny how there’s no mention of the senator pushing this idea: Sen. Mark Miloscia.
Could it be statewide voters’ judgment of Mr. Miloscia’s ideas in our recent election was not to Shift’s liking?
People who use illegal substances don’t go to jail for “treatment”…they go to get punished for breaking the law. There is a big difference. Unfortunately, the people simply got tired of fighting and legalized pot. We’ll see where that one leads us.
Then, again, those same voters passed physician assisted suicide (though the state refuses to call it that, because it’s offensive…poor snowflakes).
People who use illegal substances don’t go to jail for “treatment”…they go to get punished for breaking the law. There is a big difference.
You might want to tell that to Shift:
Republicans believe that compassion for an opioid user is not a government sponsored slow march to death, but getting them treatment.
Shift seems to believe that arrests, jail time, and a permanent criminal record all count as “treatment” for serious addiction issues. Perhaps you could educate Shift on this point?
Unfortunately, the people simply got tired of fighting and legalized pot.
What were we the people “fighting” before we voted to de-criminalize recreational use of cannabis? It seems to me the thing of which we had “tired” was the utter waste of our taxpayer money on punishing adults for what they chose to do with their own bodies in the privacy of their own homes, and of our police targeting persons for the “crime” of growing plants in the dirt.
We’ll see where that one leads us.
So far, it’s working really well. Washington state growers of cannabis have legal markets, and Seattle has many new legal businesses employing workers at good wages and paying taxes. Our previous waste of tax money has become a source of it. Please let us know what you find objectionable in all of that.
Then, again, those same voters passed physician assisted suicide …
Yeah, what were the arguments against that one, again? Was legal assisted suicide going to bring some kind of massive societal breakdown that, somehow, despite all of the fear-mongering, didn’t ever come close to happening? (Or was the precipitation of social collapse going to be from legalization of cannabis? Or a high minimum wage? Or same-sex marriage? I have long since lost track of all the predicted disasters which must inevitably come from enacting liberal policies, since none of these forewarned dire events ever seems to actually happen.)
…(though the state refuses to call it that, because it’s offensive…poor snowflakes).
Ah, yes, mocking people who are already contemplating taking their own lives. You’re showing us more of this “compassion” Shift was going on about, eh?
First off, whether or not I agree with Shift on the subject of punishment/treatment for drug abuse is irrelevant…it’s simply my opinion.
As for legalizing pot, it was not a universally accepted idea, nor is it, now. In fact, the Feds are currently evaluating whether, or not, they want to start enforcing the laws against it. This could still end badly for all those prosperous businesses you mentioned. It’s funny how you brought the tax revenue into the picture…this is the very same excuse all those smokers used to justify their killing themselves and it didn’t hold water, then, either.
The reason I brought up assisted suicide was, there, again, there are still a great number of people who believe it to be morally wrong…your mileage may vary. Even the “followers” of the movement had doubts…otherwise, why would they insist upon calling it something other than suicide? They’re lying to themselves, but the rest of us can see right through it. Do it, if you choose, but stop trying to “sugar coat” it with fluffy names like “Death With Dignity”. I do have compassion for those suffering, but taking your own life is still suicide and will always remain so.
You also mentioned social collapse from the minimum wage, same-sex marriage, etc. Just like any progressive, you expect to see immediate results, even though you know you’re lying to yourself. As I have stated, previously, this process will take a long time, but it will happen, unless things change. Other civilizations have tried (Sodom, Gomorrah, Rome), but they eventually failed. Some people simply refuse to learn from the mistakes of the past.
As for legalizing pot, it was not a universally accepted idea, nor is it, now.
No policy ever is. A majority of Washington state’s electorate decided to stop wasting taxpayer money on attempts to eradicate a plant which grows so commonly and easily, it’s actually called “weed”.
In fact, the Feds are currently evaluating whether, or not, they want to start enforcing the laws against it.
Our current federal Attorney General is currently evaluating his own chances of getting punished for breaking the laws against lying to Congress, so I rather doubt he wants to give Washington state’s Attorney General another chance at a huge victory in court over a really, really stupid federal policy.
This could still end badly for all those prosperous businesses you mentioned.
Do tell us again how Seattle liberals don’t understand how our big-government policies will hurt business!
It’s funny how you brought the tax revenue into the picture…this is the very same excuse all those smokers used to justify their killing themselves and it didn’t hold water, then, either.
Are you claiming that tobacco products are not now legally sold, and heavily taxed, right here in Washington State?
The reason I brought up assisted suicide was, there, again, there are still a great number of people who believe it to be morally wrong…your mileage may vary.
The greater moral wrong lies in forcing an adult to live indefinitely in great pain and hopeless bodily decay, for no other reason than that some of his neighbors do not approve of suicide.
Just like any progressive, you expect to see immediate results, even though you know you’re lying to yourself.
I guess it’s easier just to sneer insults at your opponent, when you have no facts, than to admit having no facts.
As I have stated, previously, this process will take a long time, but it will happen, unless things change.
So, how many years must pass without disaster arriving before you admit error? Or will this always remain imminent, no matter how long Seattle remains prosperous, no matter how long Massachusetts (first home of legal gay marriage) has a lower divorce rate than the states in the Bible Belt?
Oh, and by the way — after Lot and his daughters escaped from Sodom & Gomorrah, they got him drunk and had sex with him, each producing a child. That’s some awesome morality you’re pushing there.
“A majority of Washington state’s electorate decided to stop wasting taxpayer money on attempts to eradicate a plant which grows so commonly and easily”
Yes, and now they’re wasting it on additional enforcement and abuse programs (just like with casinos)…some big savings, there.
“Our current federal Attorney General is currently evaluating his own chances of getting punished for breaking the laws against lying to Congress”
These, so called, “lies” have yet to be proven. I watched the hearings and Sen. Sessions properly and correctly answered the questions, without volunteering anything he didn’t need to. On the other hand, Eric Holder clearly lied about the “Fast and Furious” scandal and WAS held in contempt of Congress over it.
“Are you claiming that tobacco products are not now legally sold, and heavily taxed, right here in Washington State?”
I never said, nor did I even imply this…my statement was that just because the state makes a ton of money taxing something doesn’t mean that it’s good for you.
“The greater moral wrong lies in forcing an adult to live indefinitely in great pain and hopeless bodily decay, for no other reason than that some of his neighbors do not approve of suicide.”
No…the greater moral wrong is for a person who has sworn an oath to protect life to actually assist in the taking of a life. And thank you for using the more accurate term suicide in your response.
Finally, I think I can help you with understanding that situation with Lot and his daughters. The difference was that they were doing it out of an assumed duty to help continue the family line…not for the sheer perverse enjoyment of it. You really should try to better understand the examples you use to prove a point.
Yes, and now they’re wasting it on additional enforcement and abuse programs (just like with casinos)…some big savings, there.
Purely for the sake of amusement, let’s pretend you had actually cited real, documented budgetary figures from a reliable source, instead of merely having stated your opinion as fact. Would spending all the tax money collected from legal sales of drug on treatment for that drug be better or worse than an illegal market and no treatment?
I watched the hearings…
Let me guess — back in the day, you diagnosed Terry Schaivo as healthy via television, too?
No…the greater moral wrong is for a person who has sworn an oath to protect life to actually assist in the taking of a life.
Aside from the casual cruelty required to demand some unknown number of unfortunate persons prolong their miseries for no other reason than your desire to impose your moral code upon their bodies without their consent, please note your logic had already failed decades ago. Referendum 20, which de-criminalzed abortion in Washington state, was written by two doctors who had tired of seeing the results of illegal abortion attempts on the bodies of their patients.
The difference was that they were doing it out of an assumed duty to help continue the family line…
Ah, so situational ethics made it ok for them to drug their victim and have nonconsensual sex with him after they’d rendered him incapable of refusing their assault. Thanks for clearing that up.
Please let me know if you continue to have trouble understanding why your fellow citizens keep rejecting your ideas about morality and public policy.
Opioid, the Opioid Epidemic, Opioid abuse, addiction, overdose, etc. etc. etc.Opioid is just the latest Buzz word in the never ending Failed War on Drugs. But what does it really mean? What is it really describing? What is at the bottom line, and from where does it originate? Is it all illegal and smuggled in? Or is it really in the “legal” realm and produced domestically in a variety of forms and sold under a variety of names? . Who controls the source and supply, Cartels or Corporations? Ask 10 people you are likely to get 10 different answers. The best answer is probably ALL of the above.
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