Maybe that's why Garcetti isn't throwing the ENTIRE COMMUNITY under the bus like some of you OTHER Councilmembers, like HUIZAR and JAN PERRY!!! (JAN, I'M TALKING TO YOU...YOU WANNA RUN FOR MAYOR...YOU CANNOT WIN WITH THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA COMMUNITY HATING YOUR ASS! GET WITH THE PROGRAM AND OFF YOUR AGENDAS, CLOWNCIL LOSERS. THESE PEOPLE ARE RECOGNIZING ME...WHICH MEANS THEY ARE WATCHING YOUR ASS! (AND READY TO VOTE FOR THE PERSON WHO SAYS THE RIGHT STUFF. So far, that's Garshady!)
ANYWAY, I'M SURE THIS WILL BE ONE OF THE ISSUES I DISCUSS THIS TUESDAY AT 11PM ON KPFK 90.7 FM! Tune in. And here's a message from Dege of Patients Advocates group!:
Greetings Patient Advocates –
I have received feedback from many concerned patients about the current process at City Hall regarding medical cannabis regulations and many of you wish to get involved. This is very good news. There are nearly 250,000 patients in Greater Los Angeles and only 30 – 40 patients regularly engage City Council.
Mass involvement during this time is vital to getting the guidelines patients need. There is a process at City Hall and it’s easy to tap into it, you just have to jump in. There is also the matter of being effective. Being sincere and respectful is always going to gain you more ground than aggression. It’s OK to be angry. It shows you care, just be constructive. Lead by example and be the change you want to see in the world.
How you can get involved:
1.) Spread the word – what you learn here, please share with others. If you write a letter to council, consider having your friends over for a letter writing party. When you go to the next Council meetings, take many people with you. Post important information to your social networking sites. There is great power in numbers and you are important.
2.) Write City Council – and keep it simple and specific. Introduce yourself as a patient with a serious condition and let them know where you live in the city. Let them know you are a member of more than one collective and why patients need access to multiple collectives. Let them know you are concerned that restrictive zoning provisions will force your collectives to close or relocate to unfriendly areas (like industrial zones) too far from home. Let them know that you want your collectives to be able to continue to serve you at their current locations.
Collectives given priority under the new regulations should be able to remain at their
current locations if neighbors are supportive; certain provisions should trigger a hearing and not automatically force a collective to move (moving is very expensive and many collectives are in long-term leases.)
Be accurate, don’t make up facts, etc. Be a trusted resource. Be brief. Stick to your point. Avoid other topics, getting emotional – you want them to read your letter AND get it. Be courteous. Be rational and thank them for their time and consideration. You will get much further. Include your email/phone number so they can contact you/recognize you as a constituent.
Send your letter by e-mail or FAX. (See below for contact information.) Consider copying your message to other council staff to ensure the council member gets it. Many times it will be the staff person who follows-up with you.
3.) Speak before City Council – they will be in session this Friday, December 11, 2009, and Tuesday, December 15, 2009, before they take up this matter again on December 16th.
Speaking before the Council on a non-agenda item is easy and will provide you the opportunity to present for a full two minutes. Giving public testimony is a lot like writing your letter except it becomes a short presentation piece. Writing your comments down ahead of time is beneficial as well as practicing and timing them. You will need to start by stating your name and where you live.
General public comment is also a time you can submit documents to the full Council. For example, you can write your letter, make 15 copies, go sign up for general public comment, keep your presentation short and summit your letter to them for the record.
Council meetings start at 10 a.m. and are held in room 340 at the downtown City Hall. Speaker cards are in the back of the chamber. Take a pen with you to fill it out. Turn it in to one of the uniformed officers in the front of the chamber. General public comment is generally at the beginning of the meeting. You can also participate in general public comment and watch Council meetings at the Van Nuys City Hall. This is very convenient for patients in the valley.
4.) Attend the next Council meeting – The agenda has not yet been posted but it is understood the Council MIGHT hear this matter again on Wednesday, December 16, 2009, stay tuned. If they don’t hear it on Wednesday, it will be in early January. It is important that as many patients attend this next meeting as possible. When a matter is on the agenda, you cannot speak on it in general public comment. When you fill
out your speaker card, you will include the file no., turn it in and wait until the Council gets to the agenda item.
Since this item has been ongoing, the Council does not allow for a full two minutes per person to provide comment; it is usually one minute however, at the last hearing the acting Council President cut the comments down to 30 seconds per person. For this reason it is ideal for you to submit your letter ahead of time and take advantage of general public comment on Friday and Tuesday because by Wednesday you already want the Council to know how you feel as you may only have enough time to make a few second statement and ask them to do the right thing. But when you
have taken the time to contact Council ahead of time, those few seconds can be very effective.
Thank you for taking the time to be an effective patient advocate for safe, sustainable access in Los Angeles and being a part of history.
(Council contact list below)
Sincerely,
Degé Coutee
Education & Advocacy Director
Patient Advocacy Network
www.CannabisSavesLives.com
(323) 334-5282
LA City Council
Ed Reyes – District 1
Room 410
(213) 473-7001 / (213) 485-8907 fax
councilmember.reyes@lacity.org
other staff:
jose.gardea@lacity.org rebecca.valdez@lacity.org,
guadalupe.duran.medina@lacity.
susan.s.wong@lacity.org
Paul Krekorian (newly elected) – District 2
Room 475
(213) 473-7002 / (213) 680-7895 fax
Dennis P. Zine – District 3
Room 450
(213) 473-7003 / (213) 485-8988 fax
councilmember.zine@lacity.org
other staff:
brian.perry@lacity.org, jonathan.brand@lacity.org,
Jessica.Tarman@lacity.org, Christopher.Olsen@lacity.org
Tom LaBonge – District 4
Room 480
(213) 473-7004 / (213) 624- 7810 fax
councilmember.labonge@lacity.
other staff:
renee.weitzer@lacity.org, rory.fitzpatrick@lacity.org,
lisa.schechter@lacity.org, carolyn.ramsay@lacity.org,
doug.mensman@lacity.org
Paul Koretz – District 5
Room 440
(213) 473-7005 / (213) 978-2250 fax
paul.koretz@lacity.org
Tony Cardenas – District 6
Room 455
(213) 473-7006 / (213) 847-0549 fax
councilmember.cardenas@lacity.
Richard Alarcón – District 7
Room 465
(213) 473-7007 / (213) 847-0707 fax
councilmember.alarcon@lacity.
other staff:
saeed.ali@lacity.org, ackley.padilla@lacity.org, sarah.brennan@lacity.org,
marisa.alcaraz@lacity.org, becca.doten@lacity.org,
Faisal.Alserri@lacity.org
Bernard Parks – District 8
Room 460
(213) 473-7008 / (213) 485-7683 fax
Councilmember.Parks@lacity.org
Jan Perry – District 9
Assistant President Pro Tempore
Room 420
(213) 473-7009 / (213) 473-5946 fax
Jan.Perry@lacity.org
other staff:
Kathy.Godfrey@lacity.org, Greg.Fischer@lacity.org,
Eva.Kandarpa@lacity.org, Stephanie.Magnien@lacity.org,
Brandy.Chappell@lacity.org
Herb J. Wesson, Jr. – District 10
Room 430
(213) 473-7010 / (213) 485-9829 fax
councilmember.wesson@lacity.
Bill Rosendahl – District 11
Room 415
(213) 473-7011 / (213) 473-6926 fax
councilman.rosendahl@lacity.
other staff:
mike.bonin@lacity.org, laura.mclennan@lacity.org, nate.kaplan@lacity.org,
Paul.Backstrom@lacity.org, whitney.blumenfeld@lacity.org,
norman.kulla@lacity.org, mark.grant@lacity.org
Greig Smith – District 12
Room 405
(213) 473-7012 / (213) 473-6925 fax
greig.smith@lacity.org
other stuff:
mitch.englander@lacity.org, john.s.lee@lacity.org,
nicole.bernson@lacity.org, phyllis.winger@lacity.org,
doug.tripp@lacity.org
Eric Garcetti – District 13
President
Room 470
(213) 473-7013 / (213) 613-0819 fax
councilmember.garcetti@lacity.
other staff:
Ana.Guerrero@lacity.org, Heleen.Ramirez@lacity.org, Julie.Wong@lacity.org,
lynnette.amerian@lacity.org, Kate.Hennigan@lacity.org,
sarah.dusseault@lacity.org
José Huizar – District 14
Room 425
(213) 473-7014 / (213) 847-0680 fax
councilmember.huizar@lacity.
other staff:
Ana.Cubas@lacity.org, Francine.Godoy@lacity.org, Rick.Coca@lacity.org,
Erik.Sanjurjo@lacity.org, Deanna.Kitamura@lacity.org
Janice Hahn – District 15
Room 435
(213) 473-7015 / (213) 626-5431 fax
janice.hahn@lacity.org
other staff:
courtney.chesla@lacity.org, Jenny.Chavez@lacity.org,
Eric.Brown@lacity.org, jennifer.rivera@lacity.org,
Olivia.Kelly@lacity.org, frank.hong@lacity.org
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