We had an election and nobody got killed. We got through it

For every apocalyptic prediction in the aftermath of the election yesterday I want to remind my friends that we will get through it. Depending on your point of view either Dubya or O'Bummer was the worst thing that has ever happened to this country. Somehow we got through it.

That being said there is some real danger out there.

Trump doesn't seem to be interested in public policy unless it can be reduced to a sound bite so the Republican Congress will set the agenda and he will go along with most of it.



Just on Healthcare. 

They will repeal the Affordable Care Act ( Obamacare) leaving over 20 million people without health insurance.  They have to do this, the base will rebel if they don't.

Speaker Paul Ryan's budget outlined a plan to close the VA Medical Centers and make Medicare into something of a coupon system. They call it premium support. Frank Luntz is a master of language

Changing Medicaid to a block grant to give states "flexibility. "  Most of the money (over 60%)  pays for people in Nursing Homes  like my Mom.

Obamacare is opposed until you tell people that you kids can stay on your policy until they are 26 or preventive procedures are covered with no deductible. If you have an illness (preexisting condition)  you can't be denied coverage.

The headlines tell us that  premiums have increased dramatically this year but how much  would they go up without this law? No one knows.

120th State Rep forum

I know no one reads this blog anymore but I decided to write up the 120th candidate forum so I can post a link to Facebook.

1st term Republican Aaron Kaufer and Democratic challenger Bob McDonald had the obligatory LWV forum at Wyoming Sem in Kingston. 

About 50 people attended which is about what you get for these things. The TL and CV sent reporters and Service Electric taped it. It can be seen on channel 2 on Monday.

Bob is a first time candidate and Aaron is an experienced politician and it showed. Kaufer was well rehearsed and confident in his answers speaking into the microphone while McDonald sometimes rambled and sat 2 feet away from the table/mic. I hope the TV audio  picked him up. In his opening statement Kaufer said that good policy makes for good politics. That's something  Bill Clinton said. McDonald said we are about to elect our first woman President and talked about dignity.

People in the audience submitted questions and you can tell who planted the most.

On the economy Bob wants a gigabyte revolution and Aaron agreed we need more fiber optics then pitched cutting corporate taxes.

On welfare Kaufer touted he was able to add a check mark to assistance applications so people can't get benefits in more than state and claimed it  saved money. He wants family caps on benefits and work requirements . McDonald reminded him it's illegal to claim benefits in more than one state and that welfare is a floor and most benefits go to children .

They both agreed that anew approach is needed to the opioid crises. Bob stated that addiction is not a moral failure but a medical problem. Aaron said there s no silver bullet to solve this problem and is part of the HOPE caucus .


Neither one seemed to like Charter Schools.

On HB76 Bob said eliminating school property taxes is not going to happen and said people who keep promising that are like Lucy holding the football. Aaron then gave an impassioned defense of eliminating property taxes saying the legislature passed a constitutional amendment that I haven't heard about providing a 100% Homestead exemption. The audience applauded.

They both agreed that discrimination against LBGT people is wrong. Kaufer cited his gay brother Seth.

On term limits Bob got a laugh saying that he thinks that Aaron should be limited to 1 term. Aaron invoked George Washington cautioning against political factions and said he wears an orange tie to show his support for reform.

Kaufer said that Unemployment compensation is too generous and voted to reduce it and regulations should be pared back. That left an opening for McDonald to argue that the frackers are just as bad as the coal companies.

After the event I asked Kaufer what he thinks of his party's Presidential nominee and would he vote for him. He said he had his own race to run and would not say if he would vote for Trump. 

Yard signs

Mrs. G has been bugging me to get some Hillary yard signs to display because some of our neighbors have Trump signs but we haven't seen any Clinton/Kaine signs . So being a dutiful husband I dropped by the Hillary HQ in Wilkes-Barre today to pick up a few. I explained that we are being outnumbered in Plains and and a young person helpfully explained that yard signs don't vote. Gee, I didn't know that. So they asked me if I would be willing to help out and I said OK. Then I was asked to do some canvassing every weekend until the election but I couldn't commit to that. I was told if  I would commit to a couple of shifts they would allow me to have 2 signs. When I objected to that they told me to go on the website to get a sign. Needless  to say I walked out without a sign.

I have worked for a lot of campaigns and have never subjected a potential volunteer to such a hard sell. The condescending attitude of the person I dealt with was off putting. Without asking anything about my background  I was informed of the definition of  GOTV and how voter contact can make a difference. Gee, I didn't know that either.

Maybe I'm just getting cranky but if this is what they have going on in a key county of PA. God help us.

Anyway, We have a sign in the yard for a candidate we enthusiastically support. 

Yuddy pick-a-nick 2016

State Senator John Yudichak had his annual get together at the PAV in Plains today. Local labor unions sponsored the event . Many candidates running for election this year and in the the future  showed up.


Yuddy  actually made some news. He told me he favors legalizing Marijuana.

One statewide candidate made an appearance. Joe Torsella wants to be the next Treasurer of the Commonwealth.

Joe with Bob Caruso

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The State Rep candidates are sticking together.

Maureen Maden, Yuddy, some guy and Bob caption

 And my pal Michelle  with Mrs. G

More pics at my FB page: https://www.facebook.com/gort.fortytwo?hc_ref=NEWSFEEDhttps://www.facebook.com/gort.fortytwo?hc_ref=NEWSFEED

Brewsterhout Party

This is one of my favorite events of the summer. What a great idea to have a party on the top floor of a parking garage with a birds eye view of downtown Wilkes-Barre. As a student I spent many hours at The Osterhout Free Library so I'm happy to give back in a small way.

It was better organized this year with more restaurant samplings set up in the middle with the other attractions off to the side with plenty of room for the crowd to flow.

We ran into some good friends

      

And this young lady got me to buy way more raffle tickets than I should have.

And there were a few political types roaming around. I spotted Judge Hughes accompanied by some guy that was dressed like a lawyer and/or an undertaker. I know it's hard to tell the difference.

W-B city council guy Tony Brooks and recently deposed Luzerne County GOP Chair Bill Urbanski made gagging sounds when I asked them what they think of their party's Presidential candidate. Brooks said he will vote for the Libertarian.

 I had a brief conversation with Councilman Bill Barrett who didn't seem to enthused with the new Mayor.


Speaking of the Mayor,  why didn't he and the other council members and the WB-Area school board members make an appearance to support one of the city's greatest assets?


More photos on my Facebook page.

Lou Barletta for Vice President

Lou Barletta for VP. It's a perfect fit with Trump's immigration stance. Besides, who else would want the job. Maybe Tom Marino or Newt Gingrich.

This Wapo story only adds to the fuel. 

 5. Reps. Tom Marino and Lou Barletta: Okay, we cheated by putting two people in the fifth spot. But it's tough to mention one Pennsylvania Republican without the other. Trump insiders say both men's endorsements were crucial in helping Trump win Pennsylvania in April. That night, you'll recall, was Trump's five-state sweep in the Northeastern primary and seemingly the beginning of the end of the Republican nominating contests. Barletta is an immigration hard-liner who likes Trump's idea to build a wall, and Marino, who represents a conservative, more rural section of northeastern Pennsylvania, told Politico that endorsing Trump was "one of my life-changing moment.

If Barletta is not the VP choice maybe he could be Ambassador to Mexico.

Petition Day is Tuesday

The last day to file nominating petitions is Tuesday according to the PA Department of State.
 I'm a bit out of touch on these things but to my knowledge only 2 state reps in Luzerne County  will have a challenger. Justin Behrens (R) in the 119th will take on Gerald Mullery(D) and Bob McDonald(D) is running against Aaron Kaufer(R) in the 120th. Please update me if you know of any others.

Up In Smoke: Giving a Northeastern Pennsylvania Politician the ‘Seattle Treatment’ on his Marijuana Dishonesty

“I’m not there yet”

That was the response given by Pennsylvania State Representative Aaron Kaufer (R-Kingston) in the Citizens Voice newspaper piece from Oct 11, 2015 entitled “Where do local legislators stand on marijuana?” when reporter Bill Wellock asked him his position on legal recreational marijuana. I’d like to tell you why that caused me to practically spit my locally roasted quad-shot triple-tall organic fair trade soy mocha all over my Chromebook that morning in surprise.

Before I get into the details of that night, first, a little background about me. My name is Casey Evans, and I was born and raised in the Back Mountain area of Luzerne County. I interned with US Congressman Paul Kanjorski, and worked as a staffer out of the Wilkes-Barre branch of Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign (though I #FeelTheBern this year). I served on the Luzerne County Democratic Committee as an elected committeeperson, as Chair of the 2nd District from 2010-2013, and as the party’s media contact from 2011-2012. I was also one of the 33 candidates that ran in the Democratic primary for the first Luzerne County Council, and “made history” locally by being - to my knowledge - the first openly gay person to run for office in Luzerne County. I’ve written many a letter to the editor, was a contributor to, and occasionally the subject of, pieces on WYLN-TV, WILK Newsradio, the Times Leader, the Citizens Voice, the Hazleton Standrd-Speaker, PoliticsPA, LuLac Political Letter, and the blog you’re reading right now, Gort42.

I moved out of Northeastern Pennsylvania in 2013, headed for the Pacific Northwest, and settled in rainy Seattle, Washington, where I now call home (Go Seahawks!). I’ve kept up my political activism: I served on the Washington State 37th Legislative District Committee for various progressive candidates and causes, helped out on the political campaign that elected State Senator Pramila Jayapal, marched in the streets with thousands of demonstrators in the movement that won Seattle a $15 minimum wage, and most recently, formally left the Democratic Party and joined Socialist Alternative Seattle - Western Washington’s fastest growing political party - and became an activist for our incumbent City Councilmember, Socialist Kshama Sawant, during her successful re-election campaign in 2015 (57% of the vote!). In addition to my professional job with a local tech centered company, I relish my activist work, and in my free time, I very much like to exercise my rights under Washington State’s I-502: You see, it’s totally legal and socially acceptable for me to walk into a store and buy marijuana, possess marijuana, and enjoy marijuana. You know how in Pennsylvania everyone has “that one friend”? Well, here in Washington, everyone IS that one friend! It’s as commonplace as a glass of wine at dinner.

I mention all of this to demonstrate a few important things: First, I’m no stranger to Luzerne County or to Northeastern Pennsylvania. My roots there run deep. Second: I am also not a stranger to NEPA politics. I know it inside and out. Third: I’m unapologetically left wing and will speak my mind and say precisely what I believe on any given issue with sincerity and without reservation. Fourth: I enjoy the occasional toke of cannabis every now and then and I may in fact be in the process of making a bong with a friend out of a model Starship Enterprise that will light up and make phaser noises when you take a big rip from it. ….And by “may”, I mean I definitely am. But, I digress.

I occasionally like to read NEPA’s news online from Seattle. I find it absolutely fascinating to compare political news and discourse between the two areas:  Northeastern Pennsylvania, the relatively conservative land of kielbasa, church bazaars, and REALLY great pizza where the people like a good, cold beer and where things are slow to change and Seattle, the city of ever-present rain, coffee snobbery, and vegan punk rock bars, where the people are as eco-conscious as can be and where our gay mayor pardoned a tofurkey for Thanksgiving.

It’s fun to compare and contrast the two areas: Both have wonderfully rich heritages and are great places to call home, although politically, they could not be further apart.

Which brings me to the night that this all began, October 11, 2012: strangely, it was precisely three years before Kaufer’s commentary on marijuana hit the Citizens Voice.

It was the night of the debate between Congressional candidates Matt Cartwright (D) and Laureen Cummings (R) at Wilkes University. I attended, along with many others from Luzerne County’s political community. There was not one party or ideology or group that was not represented in that auditorium. After the debate was finished, the author of this blog, Ben Hoon, Alex Milanes (currently of the Luzerne County arena board and Treasurer of the Luzerne County Young Republicans), and I decided to go to the River Grille on River Street in Wilkes-Barre for some pub grub, and some multipartisan political discussions. There was another person who came with us that night, too: a first time candidate, Republican Aaron Kaufer, who was running for State Representative that year against long time incumbent, Democrat Phyllis Mundy.

Just to make sure you know I’m not pulling anyone’s proverbial leg on either coast of North America, I happen to have a photo that was taken by Ben Hoon that night at the River Grille of Milanes, Kaufer, and myself at our table.

Among the topics we discussed that night, from gay rights to property taxes to the presidential horse race between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, the issue of marijuana legalization came up. I said my piece, believing then as I do today that marijuana should be legal - not just for medicinal purposes, but for responsible adults to simply enjoy as they please.

Much to my surprise, Aaron Kaufer agreed with me. He said that he didn’t use marijuana (and to this day, I take him at his word that he doesn’t), but that his friends throughout college enjoyed it, and that it was through those friendships that he realized marijuana was not the big bad drug that we were all told to “just say no” to. He and I went back and forth through all of the reasons why marijuana was illegal - from lobbying from the private prison industry to Harry Anslinger to William Randolph Hearst and everything in between. He knew every name, every fact I brought up, expanded on it, and I expanded on his, and on and on we went.

Not only was he for marijuana legalization, he was arguably more for it than I was! Aaron called himself a different kind of Republican, and he said that he was happy to buck his party on this issue. He said that if the state could legalize it, tax it, that Pennsylvania wouldn’t be in as much of an economic downswing as it was and that the people would be better off for it.

I completely agreed, and I left the River Grille later that night having made another friend on the Republican side of the aisle. I was still backing Mundy that year (because Phyllis was a pretty awesome progressive legislator for the area), but I told Aaron that if he ever ran again that - party politics be damned - I’d be happy to see him win. He earned my respect that night because of his position on marijuana and his willingness to be an “independent minded Republican” (his words, not mine) that could think for himself, that wouldn’t blindly take orders from his party bosses (I found him to be a kindred spirit in that regard), and a man who - although we did not agree on everything - I still believed would do what he believed to be the right thing for the people.

Mind you, Aaron and I had this conversation at the same dinner table as a blogger (Gort42) and a Republican party official (Alex Milanes).

In 2014, I had already moved to Seattle, but still have literally thousands of people on my Facebook friends list, many from Northeastern Pennsylvania, and many in Aaron Kaufer’s district. Aaron was running, along with Eileen Cipriani, chief of staff for Phyllis Mundy, and John Bolin, a Democratic committeeman, good man, and all around awesome human being, who sadly and tragically passed away after a long and brave battle with cancer before the primary election was held (rest easy, my friend =(... ).

I took to my keyboard and declared to my friends in 120th District that I had fond feelings and high hopes for EVERY candidate in that race: I said that I considered Cipriani, Bolin, and Kaufer to all be friends. I said that each of them cared very deeply for the district and for their communities, and although they may disagree on some ideological issues here and there that I had no doubt in my mind whatsoever that every one of them would make excellent legislators and would serve the people of their district, and the people of Pennsylvania, well and with honor.

After John passed and the race became a two-person contest between Kaufer and Cipriani, I talked both of them up on Facebook and in the comment section of local newspapers. I posted glowing recommendations online for both of them. I believed in both of them. How can you choose one candidate over the other when you genuinely and sincerely believe both of them to be honorable and good people who are stepping up to serve their communities? I remember thinking to myself that if I were a voter in the 120th District that I would have a very, very hard decision on election day that year.

Aaron won his race. I posted a long congratulatory note on his Facebook page. I was very happy for him. Sure, he was a Republican, but I took him at his word that he was a “different kind” of Republican. He was young - younger than me, even - with a fresh mind and a Millennial’s perspective.  I had high hopes for Aaron; after all, I put my name and my reputation out there online and told people I knew in his district that he was alright by me. I told my friends to vote for him. I told my family to vote for him. I even told a person I randomly met here in Seattle who was from West Pittston and just coming back from a cruise to Alaska that she should vote for him, too!

So imagine my surprise when on October 11th, 2015, I happened to log on to the Citizens Voice website and read that the now-elected Representative Kaufer’s stated position on recreational marijuana was this:

“I’m not there yet. I personally think medical cannabis is the right way to go. I think we should watch what Colorado is doing and really find out what’s going on. We have the opportunity to see what’s going on in other states like Colorado and Washington. I don’t think it’s something that we should jump into. I think it’s something where we have time to make a decision.”

“Uh….What?” I asked myself as I read it. To his credit, Kaufer did say that he supported some version of medical marijuana, adding that there were too many people in jail for marijuana possession.

But that doesn’t change the fact that Aaron completely changed his position on legal marijuana. Not only was he FOR legal marijuana when Alex Milanes, Gort, and I sat at that table with him three years prior, he was more for it than I, Casey Evans, self-admitted Socialist, gay rights radical, and one of the loudest left-wing standard bearers that Luzerne County will likely ever see! And I, to spill a not-so-well-kept secret, HAVE USED MARIJUANA SINCE I WAS 18!

Not to mention the fact that if medical marijuana were to be legalized that it would only affect patients afflicted with certain and specific illnesses, and likely, as was outlined in the latest Med-Mar bill in Harrisburg, be a watered down form that one could not get high from; that medical marijuana bill would have had no legal effect on those jailed persons that Aaron decided to throw a bone to in the Citizens Voice piece and would have in no way altered the sentences of people already serving sentences, and would only help the sickest of the sick who - while certainly in need of medicinal cannabis - are currently in hospital beds, not jail cells.

I commented about my understanding of Aaron’s previously held position on marijuana on the Citizens Voice article - interestingly, other posters commented that they had similar discussions with him when he was a candidate. I then posted the article on Aaron’s Facebook page, and confronted him about it directly. Within a half hour, not only was my post deleted from his wall, but Aaron also removed me as his Facebook friend.

After I went out of my way and told people that trusted me and my opinion on local politics even after I’d moved away that he was a different kind of Republican - a Republican that they could put their faith in - that really, really bothered me. It was a hurtful thing to do. All I was seeking was an honest answer from someone who I thought was an honest person, up until that morning.

Aaron did reach out to me via Facebook messenger afterward. Here is the transcript of that conversation:

12 October 2015

Aaron Kaufer: Casey, I wanted to give you a bit of perspective of where I'm coming from. Since we talked a few years ago, states have fully legalized (beyond just medical). States like Colorado and Washington serve as case studies to see the results of tax revenue and case study for others to watch. We should look to see what others are doing first such as how they distribute and the measures they take to prevent underage consumption before we jump on in. Now that there are others to study, we should take the opportunity to do it right

Casey Evans: Aaron, that isn't the issue. The issue is you had one position before, and you have a different position now. You say in the paper you "aren't there yet", yet you were very much " there" when I and others spoke with you. You can't spin with me, man. You know that. This isn't my first time at the rodeo.

Casey Evans: (Posts photograph taken at River Grille)

Casey Evans: A blogger, a republican county board member, and a former democratic district chair were all there and would all seem to agree…

(More than thirty minutes pass, Aaron had ‘read’ my last message and remained online and was listed as active on Facebook messenger throughout this time)

Aaron Kaufer: The legislature is in a debate on whether to even do medical, and I'm not even sure if the votes are there for medical. That's the battle we are having now, and I don't think it's productive right now to be talking about straight legal in Pennsylvania when we are trying to build support for medical. People who are supporters are watching to see the results from other states. I still believe there are more problems from prohibition than regulation, but I don't know if there is enough support for medical which I believe is the first step in combination with decriminalization as the necessary first step in Pennsylvania.

At that point, I felt like bashing my head against a wall. It was as though I was talking to his press secretary. And for all I know, I may have been. I didn’t reply.

I’ll be generous and hypothetically assume for a moment that his last Facebook message to me was what he “actually’ believed and that he was just trying to get the marijuana ball rolling whilst simultaneously navigating the murky, partisan waters of Harrisburg, trying to balance district demographics and political calculations all at the same time… Even in that scenario, there was no reason for him to be dishonest with his constituents about where he stood. He could have easily logged onto the website of the Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board or read the text of I-502, and discover for himself the very reasonable restrictions that it places on growers, retailers, and customers. A quick online inquiry at WA.gov would have told him how much tax revenue was generated this year, where that tax revenue goes, and a two minute Google search would have turned up the age and sale requirements for Washingtonians looking to purchase marijuana. It has been three years since I-502 was approved by Washington voters, so Aaron’s had ample time to “wait and see” how “things worked out”. Spoiler alert: Things worked out really, really well.  

If that scenario were true, after having misled the public in the Citizens Voice article, Aaron’s faulty reasoning that legalization was just too difficult to attempt (or be honest about) only says that he hadn’t the political spine to fight for it. You know, it wasn’t that many years ago that the establishment Democrats told us here in Seattle that electing a Socialist and passing a $15 minimum wage were too difficult to accomplish… and it turns out that when you have principled leaders with some moxie step up and take risks that have an organized grassroots movement behind them, there is nothing that can’t accomplished. Since polls say that a growing majority of Pennsylvanians support legalization for personal and recreational use, Aaron literally has no excuse for not even being brave enough to try.

On the other hand, even if his responses were to be taken as gospel, he said in our Facebook conversation that he “didn’t think it was productive” to be talking about straight up legalization in Pennsylvania. But even that ran counter to what he told the people of his district through the Citizens Voice article. So which was it? Was he for legalization as he said when he was a candidate, to a multipartisan table of witnesses? Was he “not there yet” like he told the papers, and by extension, the people of his district? Or was he really, truly secretly “there” and only said he wasn’t because he didn’t want to upset the GOP’s apple cart full of talking points and he just didn’t think it would ever have a chance at passing? And in the case of the last, isn’t that the very definition of lying for political expediency?

Right now, in Pennsylvania, there are people sitting in jail cells for simple marijuana possession. Some young, some older. None are medical patients that would have been eligible for medical marijuana, and even if they were, they’d still be in jail cells, because unless I read it wrong, the bill from the last legislative session contained no retroactive provisions that would have allowed them to modify or have their sentences changed via judicial review. Their families miss them every single day. When they eventually get out, they’ll go on a strict probation program and pay thousands of dollars in fines. They’ll be considered criminals, and legally listed that way for life, now finding themselves having to check the box on their employment applications that, yes, they were convicted of a crime. In addition to being stigmatized socially, they’ll also find themselves ineligible for federal grants and loans to pursue higher education or start a small business. They could have their children taken away from them, if they haven’t already.

All of that for a plant. All because they enjoy something that I enjoy today, that I can buy in a store, that I can possess, that I can laugh and joke about. Many are in prison right now and many more are suffering a lifetime of legal and financial consequences for something that, if they had done the same here in Seattle, would have resulted in a pleasant afternoon of fun, not entry into the criminal justice system.

I was lucky when I lived in Pennsylvania. I enjoyed marijuana there illegally. But there are thousands of people that weren’t so lucky as I was. I was never caught. They were, and it isn’t right. Pennsylvania law be damned: using and enjoying cannabis does NOT make anyone a criminal. Those people that are in prison or suffering legal or financial consequences for simple possession are innocent by every definition of the word.

Who is the one person in this situation who isn’t exactly innocent, however? Representative Kaufer. He felt that political expediency was more important than telling the truth. He felt that adherence to the Republican party line was more important than staying true to what he allegedly believed. If he didn’t support marijuana legalization and then said that he did, then he’s a liar and a flip flopper. If he did support marijuana legalization and then later said he didn’t, then he’s a liar, a flip flopper, and worst of all, a coward; more interested in holding on to his precious seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives than he is in standing up for what he believes, telling the truth, and taking a stand for those innocent Pennsylvanians who are paying their dues for something that - I’m sorry, I don’t care what Pennsylvania law says - is absolutely NOT a crime.

Before I wrote this piece, some people shrugged at me. They said that I shouldn’t be surprised that a politician would say one thing and then do another. True, that’s how politics often works in Pennsylvania. In fact, many if not most places in the United States. Well, Washington State must have spoiled me, because our politics are relatively cleaner, definitely more civil, and far more transparent than Luzerne County’s.. Especially compared to Pennsylvania, Western Washington, and Seattle in particular, have a reputation for a pretty honest and straightforward approach to politics..

If Mr. Kaufer were a Washington State Representative, the local news media would have raked him across the coals for an infraction like this before lunch. The Stranger, Seattle Weekly, even the Seattle Times would have had a field day with it. He’d be joked about on the latest episode of Up Late Northwest. Kshama Sawant would have an army of red-shirted protesters chanting outside his office by evening. I could even see several of our local marijuana shops use him in their advertising (I can see it now. “Two for one mystery strains, this week only! It’s the Kaufer Special: You Never Know What You’re Gonna Get!”). By the next day, Kaufer would be turning in his resignation and apologizing to his constituents for his error in judgement.

Yes, I am judging a NEPA politician by Seattle’s standards, and if your media outlets aren’t interested in doing so, then perhaps it’s time that the Wyoming Valley took after the Evergreen State for a change.

Last week, I stopped by Uncle Ike’s Pot Shop on 23rd and Union, in the Central District here in Seattle. It is the busiest marijuana store in Washington State. I picked up a postcard from the counter, and filled it out. I addressed it to Aaron’s office. Here’s what I wrote:

“Dear Rep. Kaufer! =) Do you remember when you said you were for marijuana legalization before the election? I do!! So here’s a card from the best pot shop in Seattle to remind you of your previously held position on marijuana. I *was* going to buy some pot cookies or weed gummy bears from CannaBee Candy Co. and send them to your office, but I realized that would be a waste of good weed… So I ate them myself! :-) Take care, and if you ever come out to Seattle, I’d love to give you a tour! I’ll have a pot of the best coffee and a bong loaded with the best weed in Washington State waiting for you! Sincerely, Casey Evans”

I hope that the Citizens Voice, the Times Leader, WILK, and all of the other media outlets in NEPA catch on to this piece and dig into this issue further because the people of the 120th District deserve to know where Aaron ACTUALLY stands on this very important issue; especially the families, friends, and loved ones of those who are sitting in jail cells, on probation, and suffering long term legal consequences for literally doing nothing wrong.

I’ll be interested in hearing if, when, or how Aaron decides to respond to this. My mother lives in his district now, and later this year, I’m sure she’ll be asking me who I would recommend she consider for her vote for State Representative.

What should I tell her, Aaron?

Casey Evans

Seattle, Washington