League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	Los Angeles County, CA March 8, 2011 Election
	Proposition LA-M Tax on Medical Marijuana City of Los Angeles Ordinance - Majority Approval Required Official Results Pass: 128,501 / 58.8% Yes votes ...... 90,182 / 41.2% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Proposition LA-M

Arguments Against Proposition LA-M

VOTE YES ON MEASURE M TO PROTECT VITAL SERVICES IN LOS ANGELES. During increasingly hard economic times, when City services are being cut, it is time for Los Angeles to join other major cities, and tax medical marijuana dispensaries. Currently, these facilities do not pay local business taxes, and that costs our City up to $10 million in desperately needed annual revenues. Measure M will protect and preserve Los Angeles' most vital services. Measure M will bring in up to $10 million in new revenues per year to Los Angeles. Measure M funding will be spent locally and cannot be raided by Sacramento politicians. Every penny will be invested in our community. Regular auditing and oversight will ensure that funds are spent on critically needed services in Los Angeles. Measure M will protect and restore vital services, such as our police, fire, and 911 emergency services. Measure M will help to restore library hours and preserve after-school and senior programs throughout the City.  Measure M will allow the City to continue to pave our roads, alleys and sidewalks. TO PROTECT VITAL SERVICES IN LOS ANGELES, JOIN POLICE, FIREFIGHTERS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS, AND VOTE YES ON MEASURE M. PERSONS SIGNING ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF CHARTER AMENDMENT M PAT MCOSKER President United Firefighters of Los Angeles City JANICE HAHN Councilwoman City of Los Angeles, 15th District DR. ELLEN M. GOUDLOCK, MD President L.A. City Professional Medical Employees, Local 2006 ANTONIO GONZALES President Latino Voter Guide MARSHALL E. MCCLAIN President Los Angeles Airport Police Officers Association PAUL KORETZ City Councilmember City of Los Angeles, 5th District ROSIE MARTINEZ Public Health Nurse DAVE DODDRIDGE Los Angeles Police Department Narcotics Detective Retired Rebuttal to Arguments For The opposition claims this measure will bring in revenue to the City's budget but fails to take into account: A No Vote on Measure M will save the City tax payer dollars in defending lawsuits: This measure will expose the City to lawsuits costing the tax payer if such a business tax is imposed upon legally operating non profit medical marijuana collectives that are exempt under the Los Angeles Municipal Code from paying such taxes. A No Vote on Measure M will save the City tax payer dollars in creating the infrastructure: This measure will cost tax payer dollars to create the infrastructure needed to regulate, manage and enforce such a City Tax. The City of Los Angeles, already severely understaffed, has had issues tracking the hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries that have recently opened. Creating another government layer would only stretch the thin City resources further. PERSONS SIGNING REBUTTAL TO THE ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF CHARTER AMENDMENT M BERNARD C. PARKS Councilmember City of Los Angeles JAN PERRY Council President Pro Tempore City of Los Angeles

A No Vote on Measure M keeps City tax laws consistent with Federal Law: It is illegal under Federal Law, which supersedes State and Local laws, to grow, possess or consume marijuana for any purpose. The City should not place a tax on something our Federal government considers a Schedule I narcotic and against the law. A No Vote on Measure M keeps the City tax laws consistent with Non-Profit Law: It is illegal under the City's tax law to impose a business tax or fee based tax on gross receipts of nonprofit organizations such as medical marijuana collectives. California law and the City of Los Angeles' ordinance require medical marijuana collectives to operate as not for profit organizations.  A No Vote on Measure M will save the City tax payer dollars in defending lawsuits: This Measure will expose the City to lawsuits costing the tax payer if such a business tax is imposed upon legally operating non profit medical marijuana collectives that are exempt under the Los Angeles Municipal Code from paying such taxes. A No Vote on Measure M will save the City tax payer dollars in creating the infrastructure: This Proposition will cost tax payer dollars to create the infrastructure needed to regulate, manage and enforce such a City Tax. The City of Los Angeles, already severely understaffed, has had issues tracking the hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries that have recently opened. Creating another government layer would only stretch the thin City resources further. PERSONS SIGNING ARGUMENT AGAINST CHARTER AMENDMENT M BERNARD C. PARKS Councilmember Los Angeles City Council JAN PERRY Council President Pro Tempore Los Angeles City Council CHARLIE BECK Chief of Police LAPD STEVE COOLEY District Attorney LA County LEE BACA Sherriff Los Angeles County Rebuttal to Arguments Against MEASURE M IS ABOUT ONE, SIMPLE QUESTION: Do we want medical marijuana dispensaries paying their fair share in City taxes, to support police, fire, and other vital services? THE CLEAR ANSWER IS YES. Medical dispensaries are legally operating in Los Angeles, and the City is regulating them. They are here to stay, because in 1996, California voters passed Prop 215, making medical marijuana legal. As the opponents of Measure M admit, these are "legally operating non-profit medical marijuana collectives." But they don't currently pay business taxes--which could generate more than $10 million annually. It's not fair to other businesses that do pay taxes. Even dispensaries and patients support Measure M; and Los Angeles needs the money right now for more police, firefighters, after school programs and libraries. THE CHOICE before us is whether these dispensaries pay their fair share in City taxes. THE CLEAR ANSWER IS YES. YES ON MEASURE M. PERSONS SIGNING REBUTTAL TO THE ARGUMENT AGAINST CHARTER AMENDMENT M STEPHEN DOWNING Deputy Chief (retired) Los Angeles Police Department LARRY A. BEDARD, M.D. Past President American College of Emergency Physicians JANICE HAHN Councilwoman City of Los Angeles L JULIE BUTCHER Coalition of City Unions PAT MCOSKER President United Firefighters of Los Angeles City BILL ROSENDAHL Councilmember, 11th District City of Los Angeles JEFF STUDDARD Former Officer os Angeles School Police