Today, Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Hanger unveiled his new campaign billboards.
They read “Legalize and Tax Marijuana NOW!!! John Hanger for Governor 2014.”
The billboards can be found at I-79 S near 26th in Erie and on I-81 N near Drinker in Scranton.
Hanger has previously publicized his three-step plan on reforming marijuana laws.
“I am calling for immediately allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes, reducing the penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana to a summary offense similar to a traffic ticket by 2015, and finally regulating and taxing marijuana use by 2017 if the previous reforms are successful and monitoring the experience in states that have legalized marijuana use,” Hanger has said.
In the document that details his reform plans for marijuana, it makes a populist claim for legalization.
“Our People’s Campaign is more than a political campaign – it’s also a movement to legalize marijuana.”
Hanger is especially vocal on taxing marijuana once it has been legalized.
“Regulating and taxing marijuana could bring at least $24 million a year to state coffers, revenue that could be directed to enforcing other laws and incarcerating real criminals.”
Hanger’s three-step plan has led to him receiving the endorsement of the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). He also released a video earlier this month about the legalization of marijuana and how much it would benefit Pennsylvania.
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7 Responses
13thDistDem-
There will be about 1 million Dems voting in the primary. I don’t know what will be the winning issue. Or whether the issue that wins the primary will win the general.
In a field this big, it’s important for candidates to get noticed, especially by the base.
I was just pointing out that Hanger isn’t a one issue candidate. Whether or not he is perceived as that is a function of how he crafts his message, and how he resonates on the other issues.
The baby-killer ads the GOP would put out against Schwartz would be a lot worse than any “lampooning” of pot policy.
Hanger has an uphill climb due to the funding advantages of the other candidates for their own advertising and messaging. But, the pot issue does give Hanger some free-publicity since it’s a hot topic due to Colorado.
Diano-
I know he has other things, but he’s branding himself as the pot candidate. I also understand that he has to grab on to whatever seems like it’ll carry him to victory, but even if he somehow managed to eek out a primary win, this is tee-ing him up to be lampooned by the GOP in the fall.
As a member of the Dem. State Committee and chair of the Progressive Caucus I witnessed whole regions of our state reject marriage equality and support of a due process procedure for the removal of duly elected committee people. Even the chair of the womans caucus quit the party over marriage equality. Whats good for the goose was not good enough for the goose and the ganders. That being said, I dont think this was thought through very well on a state wide basis.
Is marijuana more dangerous than an ever shrinking minority of parasitic, prohibitionist, freeloaders, who are guilty of turning the federal, state and local governments into a gargantuan organized crime syndicate, interested only in protecting its own corrupt interests?
13thDistDem-
Hanger is also calling for improving train safety and energy policy improvements. The pot legalization is just one area where he’s the furthest from the rest of the field and stake out his position.
I think the strategy is to get noticed, and build from that once people are listening.
I’m not convinced that stoners are the most reliable voting block. 🙂
| “Our People’s Campaign is more than a political campaign – it’s also a movement to legalize marijuana.”
John Hanger is a nice man, and I’m confident he’d be a superb, progressive governor. But he’s staking his entire candidacy on this single issue. How will he effectively compete with Corbett for moderates if he becomes the nominee?
Good to see that Hanger is making billboards in MS paint