Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) Friday conditionally vetoed the 911 Good Samaritan Emergency Response Act, which would have exempted from criminal prosecution people who participated in or witnessed illegal drug use after the call for help for an overdose victim. The governor vetoed the bill because it would have let drug dealers "off the hook," he said.
Chris Christie is more worried about Bad Samaritans than overdosing drug users. (state.nj.us)
Christie said he supported harm reduction strategies, including drug treatment for low-level offenders, but that the Good Samaritan bill as passed was not the right answer.
"What I'm not willing to do is to give is to give people who commit harm to other people a free pass just because they picked up the telephone," he said. "The legislature has got to make the bill better. If they make the bill better, I'll be happy to consider signing it."
His conditional veto means the bill goes back to the legislature, which he has instructed to "study the issue of drug-overdose reporting" for 18 months and recommend "a comprehensive approach."
In the meantime, more and more New Jersey residents are dying of drug overdoses every year. Some 700 died in 2009, 884 in 2010, and about 1,000 last year, according to the state medical examiner.
The bill passed the legislature with bipartisan support earlier this year and is similar to Good Samaritan laws passed in 11 other states.
This work by StoptheDrugWar.org is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
Comments
""How about if they're not a
""How about if they're not a Good Samaritan? How about if they're the (person) who supplied the drugs? That was my problem with the bill.""
So in other words, it would be better for a drug user to die and the person who sold the dose be prosecuted than for the user to not die and the dealer to not be prosecuted? Just so we know where we stand...
In reply to ""How about if they're not a by David Hart (not verified)
he really is just a big fat
he really is just a big fat ass of human waste, i hope when his heart explodes that a Good Samaritian just keeps on walking this man is a fat jerk
Tough on Crime Mantra trumphs Common Sense and Decency
Governor Christie is typical of Republicans(and most Democrats) who put a lot of value in thumping their chests out as being tough-on-crime. David Hart makes an excellent point in the way he put this issue into a context which reveals the Governor's idiotic priorities. I just wish some members of the media in New Jersey that cover the Governor would question his logic in the manner which Mr. Hart did. A big part of the problem is politicians who embrace such stupidity on the drug war, know they will never have to address the unintended consequences of their get-tough rhetoric. Christie obviously is more concerned about prosecuting his citizens than saving their lives.
In reply to Tough on Crime Mantra trumphs Common Sense and Decency by William Aiken (not verified)
because prison IS BIG
because prison IS BIG BUSINESS
Murder by extreme incompetence
What we have here is the justification of the deaths of innocent people. If anyone should die as a result of his neglectful management of the community then he is responsible and should go to prison for it.
Duh!
And this is from an obvious "food addict"?
Overdose comparison numbers
Calculating from NJ's share of total US pop. and 440,000 yearly $igarette mortality, it's likely that over 10,000 NJ citizens die yearly from 700-mg hot burning overdose monoxide $igarettes (HBOMS). Will anyone find time to check how much campaign money Christie got from Big 2WackGo compared to Democrat opponents, and how much $igarette Tax revenue NJ takes yearly to pay for "drug" persecution (total US tobacco tax revenue according to an R. J. Reynolds website: $44.5 billion, compared to estimated $20 billion "drug war" expenses). Follow the mon(k)ey.
It's because conservative republicans hate drug users
It can't be denied. Listen to any conservative talk radio or discussion circuit.. just listen to them talk about the subject... they have what can only be described as pure hatred in their hearts.. these are cruel people who preach all day about increased liberties and personal accountability.. but not for anything they deem "evil" which in their minds they think it's only minorities, the poor, and scumbags who do drugs... they WANT more drug users to overdose and die, as a form of spite, at least that's the message Governor Christie is sending to the world. Disgusting.
In reply to It's because conservative republicans hate drug users by Uncle Bob (not verified)
They hate drug users except for alcohol, tobacco + big pharma
Alcohol is far more of a drug than cannabis ever will be. I could spell out why, but it's been done millions of time already. Their hypocrisy is insufferable. They know this deep down, that's one reason their hatred of cannabis is so intense, it needs to be strong to push aside their conscience which knows they are doing wrong, creating violence while they trample on traditional American values of freedom and fair play.
Its easy to blame politicians.
Its easy to blame politicians, and believe me I do. But in general they are reacting to what the idiot general public want. They beat their chests about being tough on crime, because studies and polls show that thats what your ordinary joe mum and dad moron want. And a politicians job is to get re-elected, not promote sensible legislature.
In reply to Its easy to blame politicians. by freedom fighter (not verified)
Total BS
It was passed by the state legislature Bi-Partisanly. Christie Vetoed it... It is NOT what the people wanted. It is what HE wanted... His argument is bogus too since the bill doesn't give immunity for dealers. it ONLY covers simple possession and sharing...
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