GILMORE WRIGHT DRUG WAR PLAN

Dear Editor,
I hope those who received the campaign flier from Republican Tommy Wright
describing his drug policy proposal can read it with a critical eye. After
Governor Gilmore announced the SABRE plan (Substance- Abuse Reduction
Effort) late last month he received a letter from our national Drug Czar,
General Barry McCaffery dated Sept. 29. The letter called the
Gilmore/Wright plan “hastily developed” and “ill conceived.”

Mcaffrey criticized the mandatory minimum sentencing proposed by the
Gilmore administration, explaining that in states with these sentencing
schemes, charges sometimes have not been brought in an effort to avoid
inflexible punishment. When they are pursued, low level offenders get long
sentences while true “kingpins” get off light for turning others in. In
short the plan will not work and in many cases may prevent the kind of drug
enforcement Tommy Wright says he wants.

General McCaffery says he fears politicizing the drug issue but Wright and
Gilmore are playing politics.

They want to win the coming election more than they truly care about
getting rid of drugs.

Hopefully, voters in Southside Virginia will see through the partisan
trickery and select a better candidate.

Sincerely,
Lennice Werth Rt3
Box 692 Crewe, VA 23930 (804)645-7838