AS ANTI-DRUG TAX VOTE NEARS, OFFICIALS DEBATE EFFECTIVENESS, SPENDING

The debate over renewing Jackson County's anti-drug tax has focused on
whether the effort has gotten drugs off the streets and how the tax money
is spent.

Voters will decide Aug. 5 whether to renew the quarter-cent sales tax for
seven more years. The Community-Backed Anti-Drug Tax, first approved in
1989, expires in March 2004.

The tax is expected to generate about $19.8 million this year for law
enforcement, drug prevention and drug treatment agencies.

Supporters credit COMBAT with closing drug houses, reforming drug addicts
and reducing teen narcotics use.

But critics say the continuing prevalence of drugs demonstrates the
program's failure. They also question the allocation of money, saying
COMBAT spends too much on law enforcement and too little on treatment and
prevention.

Effectiveness

Over the years, COMBAT has raised millions of dollars to fight drugs.
Supporters, including County Executive Katheryn Shields and County
Prosecutor Mike Sanders, cite numbers that they say show the tax's success.

Since 1991, COMBAT has closed more than 7,200 drug houses, removed more
than $300 million in controlled substances from the streets, and provided
4,300 treatment slots a year for adults and adolescents, they say.

Supporters note the results from drug court, which allows nonviolent
offenders to receive treatment in lieu of prosecution. They say 90 percent
of the 1,000 graduates from drug court weren't arrested for the five-year
period that researchers tracked them.

"I'm not suggesting that with the anti-drug tax we can solve the drug
problem in the entire metropolitan area," Shields said, "but I think that
with a very creative use of these funds...we have put together a program
that is making this community a better place for all of us to live."

COMBAT money goes to about 80 agencies, and the program takes steps to
track their spending. Program director Jim Nunnelly said all agencies
report monthly and annually on their progress, and COMBAT then verifies the
results through financial audits and site visits.

Supporters also credit COMBAT with reducing teen drug use.

Shields noted a local annual survey that found drug use among Jackson
County teens was lower than those in other metropolitan counties.
University of Missouri-Kansas City sociology professor Wayne Lucas said the
reports indicated, but did not prove, a link between COMBAT and lower drug
use in the county.

To support the tax renewal, the Citizens for Crime Reduction raised $65,985
from civic groups, labor unions, foundations and others, according to a
July 15 campaign disclosure filing. The group used the money for
billboards, yard signs, direct mailings and other expenses.

Two organizations are opposed to the tax renewal: the Jackson County
Taxpayers Association and the Organized Opposition to the Jackson County
Anti-Drug Tax.

The Lee's Summit-based Jackson County Taxpayers Association says it has
about 100 members. Executive director Bob Gough said it has raised about
$300. The group plans to speak to community groups and send letters to
voters and reporters, Gough said.

Organized Opposition spokesman Richard Tolbert declined to specify the
numbers of what he said is an ad hoc coalition of people opposed to COMBAT.
He also said the organization isn't soliciting campaign money.

According to Tolbert, COMBAT has done little to curb drugs.

"The evidence that is out there is that drugs are still plentiful," he said.

Tolbert said COMBAT supporters rely on anecdotal testimonials to show the
tax's successes but have no evidence to support their claims. He believes
much of the reported successes of COMBAT could be achieved without a
special sales tax.

"I'm glad the people got over their habits, but you don't need a dedicated
tax," Tolbert said. "If these programs are so wonderful, why don't they put
them in the general (county) budget?"

Dividing The Money

COMBAT's supporters and critics also differ over how the tax money is
spent. The COMBAT Commission recommends the allocation to the Jackson
County Legislature, which makes the final decision.

This year about 15 percent of the tax money will go to treatment agencies
and about 13.5 percent will go to prevention programs, including Drug Abuse
Resistance Education, or DARE. About 28.5 percent will be allocated to law
enforcement and the prosecutor's office. About 33 percent is targeted for
programs in the court and county jail that also involve treatment. The
remaining 10 percent is used to help COMBAT agencies and others obtain
anti-drug grants.

Sanders supports the distribution of tax money.

"I don't think any program receives too much or too little," he said.

"I think what makes COMBAT successful is all three elements (law
enforcement, treatment and prevention) working together for the same goal.
You need law enforcement to arrest the people who are selling drugs to our
children and running meth labs that are a danger to the community."

He said the success of treatment and prevention programs show the programs'
effectiveness.

Critics, however, say too much money goes for enforcement.

"It's used to fund the prosecutor's office, the courts and police," said
Gough of the Jackson County Taxpayers Association. "They throw in some
feel-good stuff like prevention and treatment. That's a (public relations)
thing."

Patrick Sumner, a columnist for a community newsletter that has opposed
COMBAT, said enforcement is aimed at street dealers and not drug suppliers
who bring drugs into the country.

"If this were about nothing but drug treatment and diversion, I'd be
knocking on doors and ringing bells supporting it," he said.

The Jackson County Taxpayers Association also criticized COMBAT's support
of DARE. COMBAT will spend more than $1.2 million this year on staff and
equipment for DARE programs in nine Jackson County school districts.

Detractors point to national studies that suggest DARE is ineffective. A
University of Kentucky study found virtually no difference in drug use
between DARE students and others who had different anti-drug education.

COMBAT supporters disagree, saying its program goes beyond the national
DARE curriculum. They say the county's DARE effort teaches drug avoidance
at high school assemblies that aren't a part of DARE.

To reach Benita Y. Williams, Jackson County government reporter, call (816)
234-4789 or send e-mail to bwilliams@kcstar.com.

Coming Up

Voters can watch a debate about the tax on KCPT-TV's "Week In Review." The
show, featuring Sanders, Nunnelly, Tolbert and Sumner, will air at 7:30
p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. next Sunday.