BORDER CORRUPTION

Dear Houston Chronicle Editors:
I was encouraged by the title of your editorial, "Border Corruption:
Illegal drug money threatens integrity of law enforcement" (4/17/99).
However, my optimism quickly turned to chagrin as I read your
recommendations for more federal agents, more big money, more secret
police to watch the agents, more, more, more, more of the same. The drug
war and the drug problem are two sides of the same coin. If you increase
the value on one side, you have also, by default, increased the value of
the whole coin. It is this economics-driven relationship which underlies
the explosive growth of drug law enforcement bureacracies _and_ the
illegal drug market.

Think about that the next time you cast a vote for "more of the
same."

Sincerely,
Craig Schroer

p.s. Or to put it another way -- if the lifeboat is sinking, take a
break from bailing water in order to throw the cannon overboard,
you'll be glad you did!