BUSCH, PICKELL SHOULDN'T BE AT ODDS IN DRUG WAR

A skirmish of words and wills that played out this week at the Genesee
County Administration Building invites disrespect for law enforcement
and local government. The obvious rift between Genesee County Prosecutor
Arthur A. Busch and Sheriff Robert J. Pickell must have criminals
applauding.

The county's two top law enforcement officials appear to be feuding over
how to attack the drug problem and who will get dibs on local and state
money to finance investigations.

For the moment, Pickell seems to have the ear of the majority of the
county Board of Commissioners. But the public isn't interested in who is
winning in the bureaucracy. It just wants to see drug-dealing diminished
and lawbreakers dealt with.

Busch on Tuesday sought quick board approval of three grant requests for
a total of $1.43 million for drug-related law enforcement. His plans
include a prosecution unit for homicides that involve drugs and another
to set up prosecutorial teams that would concentrate on a few
crime-ridden neighborhoods.

But commissioners shut him down before he even made his pitch, unwilling
to commit $471,000 in local match to land the grants. The commissioners
were well within their rights to demand more time to consider the
request.

Busch understandably was upset over the dismissive treatment. It didn't
help when he learned that Pickell has his eye on some of the available
money to expand his anti-drug unit. That could thwart Busch's plans for
a new anti-drug team.

Busch said he would be willing to put the dispute to a "vote of the
people." Wouldn't that be a spectacle? All of this could mean we are in
for a bitter public battle over who should be able to expand his
fiefdom.

Such a fight doesn't advance the goals both men have to lessen drug
trafficking. Therefore, rather than go public with their competition,
Pickell and Busch should be working out their differences.