Chicago Decrim idea started with Beavers No, not the dam-building kind. I'm talking about Chicago Alderman William Beavers, who made a marijuana decriminalization proposal to the City Council about ten years ago. John Kass, the Chicago Tribune's crankiest columnist (he's been referring to the decrim plan as "The Crazed Pothead Tax," though he clearly supports it) today offers a short history lesson on the plan in response to reader mail:
...the idea actually comes from Ald. William Beavers (7th). Beavers, a former cop, introduced the measure in 1994, when I was covering City Hall. Beavers supported ticketing pot smokers, rather than prosecuting them, because small pot-possession cases clog up the courts, costing taxpayers millions, and most of the cases are dismissed. Back then, the mayor didn't like the idea. But now, facing a budget deficit of more than $200 million, he likes it. The mayor is right to consider the idea, and I support him for taking the risk on behalf of taxpayers. And Beavers, a savvy alderman of the old school, doesn't care who gets the credit for his plan.
Aside from correcting the historical record, this is the first time I've seen it noted that Mayor Daley opposed a similar proposal in the past. There's hope for big city, law and order mayors across America to recognize a bit of reality in the midst of rampant reefer madness (even if it takes a budget crisis for reality to set in).
9:46:48 AM 
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