THE FIRST PROMISE

And the winner of the 2002 Vermont gubernatorial election is ... the
Vermont State Police.

Not exactly, but the two leading contenders to replace retiring Gov. Howard
Dean agreed this week that public safety -- notably the state's worrisome
heroin problem -- would be a top concern for either administration.

At a news conference in Burlington on Monday, state Treasurer James Douglas
described Vermont as being on the brink of a "public safety crisis" because
of the burgeoning drug problem and a lack of law enforcement to deal with
it. The Republican noted that the Vermont State Police has 25 trooper
vacancies -- about 10 percent of the force -- that remain unfilled because
of a shortage of dollars.

"The State Police have been stretched too thin to meet all the
responsibilities assigned to them," Douglas said.

In response, Lt. Gov. Doug Racine recalled efforts by his fellow
legislative Democrats last year to increase funding for drug enforcement
and treatment, a plan he says was resisted by Republicans. "I've talked to
some of the troopers and what they tell me is we are short-staffed; there's
no question about it," he added.

Independent candidate Con Hogan said public safety should be looked at
"strategically in a much larger budget review."

Law enforcement officials have long complained about insufficient
appropriations, citing the $1.3 million deficit the Department of Public
Safety incurred in last year's budget. The Dean administration has placed
the department, which oversees the State Police, on a monthly allowance in
an attempt to contain spending.

Pledges by Douglas and Racine to put crime on the top of their agendas are
welcome by Vermonters concerned that the heroin plague that has descended
on the state in the past years is getting out of control. Although
Vermont's overall crime rate has tended downward in recent years, drug
offenses have risen -- up 44 percent since 1997. Also, many communities
report more thefts, check kiting and other crimes by people seeking drug money.

The foremost challenge facing the next governor is to balance Vermont's
high-maintenance government with the taxpayers' ability to adequately
finance services offered by the state. That makes setting priorities the
primary test of leadership, deciding which programs are essential for
Vermonters and which could wind up on a lower tier. Given the anemic
economy and escalating expenses for health care, education and other state
functions, it's vital that the gubernatorial candidates outline how they
intend to allocate their budgets.

Public safety is the first duty of government. Nothing poses a larger
threat to peace of mind and sense of security in Vermont than the scourge
of heroin -- which has shattered untold numbers of Vermont lives and
coarsened many communities.

Racine and Douglas have made strong promises to attack heroin aggressively.
That's good. By facing the drug issue early in the fall campaign, the two
men spark optimism that the 2002 election could prove the turning point in
the fight against heroin.