MUMPOWER DESERVES BACKING FOR TOUGH STANCE ON DRUGS

I am writing in response to the article, "Mayor: Mumpower's actions
are 'overstepping' boundaries," (AC-T, Jan. 7), by Adam Behsudi.

It is a fact that Asheville City Councilman Carl Mumpower has taken
on hard drugs and their dealers almost single-handedly, save for a
few concerned citizens and some good folks at the Chamber and in
school administration. But I don't think that he is tackling this
project alone by choice; I happen to know he welcomes help from
anyone willing, especially the city and police department.

Mumpower has spent his time heading a weekly meeting as chairman of
the Asheville-Buncombe Drug Commission, with a mission to eliminate
hard drugs and their dealers from our homeland. He has organized
countless walks in drug-ridden neighborhoods to protest the dominance
of drug dealing, often with children within sight, and orchestrated
educational forums in schools and neighborhoods. Mum-power has spent
countless hours creating and printing posters and billboards, and
campaigning to help steer the vulnerable teen away from drugs,
offering a reward to those who turn in a "hard drug" dealer.

Is Mumpower overstepping his boundaries? Maybe overstepping his own
personal boundaries by giving too much of his personal time and money
to campaign against the force of "hard drug dealers." Meanwhile,
little if any of our high property taxes are being spent on this
rising problem to prevent Asheville from becoming like other larger
metropolitan areas, steeped in drug dealers and the crime that goes
along with it.

We should question and oppose the city's use of taxpayers' dollars to
buy a failed drug-ridden housing project, to demolish and build
another one. It's a situation that is likely to repeat itself unless
there is an effort to get to the core of the problem, ridding it of
drug dealers and offering real punishment for dealing, and increasing
the activities Mumpower is stewarding on his own to educate the
public. Mumpower is not overstepping his boundaries at all; in fact,
he is giving all he can, even risking his life at times being out
there to bring awareness to the escalating problem. The only thing he
gets from "our" police department and mayor's office is criticism.

Is Mumpower overstepping his boundaries? No. The police should be out
there with him doing their job and making arrests. That is what they
get paid to do with our hard-earned tax dollars. And the mayor we
elected to protect our interests as tax-paying citizens should be
lending support rather than criticism.

In fact, the mayor should be as concerned, or even more concerned,
than a single councilmember.

What will this come to-concerned citizens taking shifts out there
with Mumpower to prevent drugs from infesting our homes,
neighborhoods and lifestyle here in Asheville?

Jeff Goss is owner and executive creative director of The Goss
Agency, an advertising, marketing and public relations agency in
downtown Asheville. He is a member of the Asheville-Buncombe Drug
Commission and his agency has assisted in promoting it on a voluntary
basis. He also lives in Asheville.