WAR ON DRUGS

TIME TO RE-THINK IT

Recently we have been exposed to two more very good reasons to re-think the
war on drugs.

A DEA budget analyst was caught with his hand in a $6 million cookie jar
(taxpayers' money folks). And a King County deputy prosecutor was caught
bringing a methamphetamine pipe and a scale to the courthouse! (But the
King County prosecutor's spokesperson said that there was no indication he
used the pipe or drugs during work!)

Two reasons to re-think our current drug policy: 1. Because it is way too
expensive! (Some estimates say the budget for the "war on some drugs" is
larger than NASA's!) 2. Because it is not stopping very many people from
using drugs.

If it was up to me, I would change the way we regulate drugs -- legalize
marijuana like alcohol and tobacco. Keep hard drugs under the supervision
of a doctor -- as is done in England -- which would cut the prison
population by half and would help people instead of hurting them.

Darral Good Lynnwood

North Everett
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SERVES A PURPOSE

James Wiersum lives in the wrong end of town (Letters, March 16
"Panhandling: Not being controlled). Everybody gots to be somewhere. Where
does he expect Everett's dopers (make that Snohomish County's dopers) to
hang out? The mall? Mill Creek? Fat chance!

The do-gooders won't permit the police to run the dopers and prostitutes
out of town and the rich people don't want them in their neighborhoods.
Where is a doper/prostitute to go? North Broadway, where the poor people
live.

Besides, we are providing a needed service for the rest of the county: The
perverts from the nice neighborhoods know where they can go to buy their
whatever. This saves time, gasoline and cuts air pollution. It is
ecologically sound to concentrate the county's perversion in a central
location.

But North Broadway is a great place to live! It is handy to the church, to
the stores and the fast food places. We can walk to the library. The worst
parts of Everett are safer than the best neighborhoods in Seattle. I only
get my car prowled about once a year. (Knock on wood.) We have the lowest
property evaluations north of Hilltop in Tacoma which keeps the real estate
taxes reasonable. North Middle and Everett High are great schools.

If North Broadway gets much worse we will fence the rest of our yard and
get a couple of junkyard dogs to patrol the place. When that no longer
works we will be ready for the old folk's home.

Bill Wald Everett