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