Star should rethink that position

After reading your Sept. 4 editorial “Might want to rethink that position,” I cannot help but come to the conclusion that maybe you should be the one doing the “rethinking.”

1) Alcohol, tobacco and gambling are also legitimate enterprises in Washington. That does not mean that there are no obvious social, health and moral problems associated with them that taxpayers and participating individuals end up paying for.

2) Your thoughts on waste of public resources are not well thought out. Now, local police agencies will have to undergo another level of testing on individuals to determine whether they are over or under the legal threshold for impairment. This will involve further training and equipment plus an additional burden on the legal system.

3) You seem to be willing to cede over the local communities’ control over to the state when that might not be their wishes. The election results showed that Lincoln Co. opposed I 502 58.3%, Grant Co. opposed 55.5%, Douglas Co. opposed 51.1% and Okanogan Co. approved 51.1%. A local city may not want to allow a licensed business of this nature in town and they have the prerogative to do so.

4) Your willingness to agree with the concept of federal guidance by the Justice Department on this issue is also troubling. The President, the Attorney General and Governor Inslee are all playing a disingenuous political game on this matter. They talk about keeping it out of the hands of minors, keeping the criminal element out of it and regulating the end product; while at the same time waffle around the potential health and social issues that may occur. Where is “the plumb line” on these matters?

5) Lastly, I would submit that “recreational use” by a public school teacher, hospital employee, or a USBR employee would be a concern. As far as I know, its use would fall under conditions of employment and could be grounds for dismissal if not dealt with. The saying goes, “elections have consequences,” and I wonder if The Star has considered them in this matter.

John Overby