CHARACTERIZATION INACCURATE

Reporter David Steves (Register-Guard, Nov. 17) calls the success of
Measure 3 "an achievement of people trying to roll back the war on drugs."
This characterization is neither fair nor accurate.

The vast majority of those of us who worked to get Measure 3 on the ballot
were not trying to "roll back the war on drugs." We, and most of the
hundreds of thousands of Oregonians who voted for Measure 3, were instead
trying to correct a blatant and egregious flaw in our justice system.

Police can still seize and keep the assets of convicted drug dealers, but
they can no longer keep the seized assets of those who are not convicted of
any crime.

Before Measure 3, they could do - and did - the latter. What is equally
disturbing is that every major law enforcement agency and newspaper in the
state, including The Register-Guard, saw nothing wrong with this.
Thankfully, Oregonians, by a 2-to-1 margin, disagreed.

My thanks to Commissioner Bill Dwyer, Floyd Prozanski, George Soros and the
countless others who worked for and voted for this desperately needed change.

Jerry Ritter

Springfield