CLINTON PROPOSAL IS THE LATEST WASTE OF DRUG-WAR MONEY

Each year, as April 15 nears, Americans wonder just exactly where their tax
dollars are going. This year, if Congress approves President Clinton's
recent proposal, 1.3 billion of those hard-earned dollars will find
themselves in Colombia. What will they do down there? Not much. People who
prefer that tax dollars are spent wisely should contact their congressional
representatives and demand an alternative to Clinton's highly questionable
proposal.

The aid package is worthy of review for myriad reasons. Colombia is a
country of perpetual chaos; with poverty reigning and guerilla forces
controlling approximately half the land, many people have no choice but to
work in cocaine production. It is these innocent civilians who bear the
brunt of the fighting between the cocaine-financed rebels and the U.S. drug
war-financed government. More U. S. money only makes the fighting bloodier,
with no effect on the level of cocaine exports.

In addition, there are a number of domestic questions surrounding the
proposal. First, there is the sheer size of the aid package. A year ago,
the White House was unwilling to fund three Black Hawk helicopters for
Colombia. Now, Clinton is calling for 63 U.S.-made helicopters and $68
million to upgrade radar planes used to track drug smugglers. Beside the
fact more hardware has yet to result in less cocaine, administration
officials have acknowledged that the Colombian Army doesn't even have
enough hangars in which to store the helicopters or pilots to operate that
many choppers.

Second, election-year politics seems to be rearing its ugly head. Despite
government figures that indicate drug use has been static over the past
five years, a poll presented to the White House in September showed that
the public perceived that drug use was on the rise and tended to blame
Democrats.

Some sort of action suddenly became imperative; Clinton's party simply
couldn't afford to hand Republicans the drug issue on a silver platter. The
poll, however, was commissioned by Lockheed Martin, a persistent pusher for
heavy increases in drug interdiction, and the defense contractor that makes
the radar planes facing upgrades -- hardly the act of a disinterested
party.

Third, a flurry of lobbying efforts and monetary contributions by companies
with military contracts has many wondering just how influential such
activities can be. Lockheed Martin has given a total of $1.8 million to
both parties but stands to gain $68 million to upgrade the radar planes.
United Technologies and Textron, both makers of military helicopters to be
given to Colombia should Clinton's proposal pass, stand to gain $454
million. Their price: $1.4 million and a few exciting helicopter rides for
congressional members.

While the proposal is currently stalled in the Senate, it is expected to be
picked up and passed later this week, despite the questions and controversy
surrounding it. That is, unless fed-up tax payers, those tired of powerful
lobbies and political maneuvering and people who care about the welfare of
individuals in other countries raise their voices and demand that Congress
develops an alternative to Clinton's dubious and wasteful plan.