WAGING WAR ON MARIJUANA A WASTE OF TAX MONEY

The Herald-Leader's Nov. 25 article about using helicopters to
eradicate marijuana left me with a few questions.

How many millions of dollars in tax money are being spent on these
weed-pulling missions? Helicopters are expensive, and so is manpower.
How many schools have to do without proper books, computers and
teachers to finance these commando-style plant-eradication junkets?

How many terrorists, illegal aliens and bales of cocaine come across
our borders while our police are wasting time pulling weeds?
Protecting our borders is a much better use of scarce resources than
trying to arrest rural Kentucky gardeners. To all those who claim to
be for balanced budgets, smaller government and less spending: Why
can't you see that the war on marijuana is a failed effort that is
merely used as pork spending?

Millions of dollars are thrown at a failed effort year after year,
with no sensible debate. Eleven states have voted to legalize medical
marijuana, and over a dozen ballot initiatives have been passed to
make marijuana enforcement the lowest priority for police.

I would rather have police eradicate kudzu, poison ivy or dandelions
if they feel the compulsion to wage a war on plants.

Tina Hoffman

Lexington