Lt. Governor Lobbies Against Cuts In Drug Money

Owen urges Congress not to reduce National Guard antidrug funds
Scott Sonner/Associated Press

Washington Lt. Gov. Brad Owen is urging Congress to reject President
Clinton's proposal to cut by nearly half the National Guard’s budget for
helping state and local governments fight drug trafficking.

``As acting governor of Washington state a couple of months ago, it fell
on me to make the decision to call out the National Guard to help us
deal with the emergency of severe flooding,’’ Owen said during a recent
congressional hearing.

``Well, we have another type of severe flooding hitting our streets and
communities every day, only now I don't have the authority to call out
the National Guard. It's the flood of drugs,’’ he said.

Owen was among several governors, lieutenant governors and state
attorneys general who testified this month before the House Government
Reform and Oversight subcommittee on national security, international
affairs and criminal justice.

``If any foreign country inflicted as much pain and suffering, killed as
many of our people, threatened as many of our children, injured 350,000
of our newborn American babies each year, or stole as much of our
property as drugs and drug dealers do, we would be in an allout war of
which the cost would not be an issue,'' Owen said.

The guard's antidrug budget has gone from $191 million in fiscal 1993,
to $134 million last year, to $180 million this year. Next year,
President Clinton has proposed reducing it 42 percent to $132 million.

The Army and Air National Guard in Washington state received $2.2
million for antidrug efforts last year and are receiving about the same
this year, but stand to lose about $700,000 of that next year under
Clinton's budget proposal.

``To be cut by onethird, that's pretty big time,'' said Col. Donna
Hubbert, public affairs officer for the Army and Air National Guard in
Washington state.

The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs credits the
guard efforts with playing a key role in the seizure of $308 million
worth of narcotics and helping make 4,000 arrests over the past 18 months.

``Our ports and borders make our state an easy mark for importation and
distribution,'' Owen told the House panel.

``Marijuana use by our kids is higher than the national average,
methamphetamine use has been described as at epidemic levels and
Seattle's heroin problem was identified and covered in national
magazines as severe.''

Rep. Dennis Hastert, RIll., chairman of the subcommittee, called the
hearing to challenge Clinton's proposed reduction in the guard's
antidrug budget.

Hastert called the proposed cut ``unconscionable'' and said it would
have severe implications for the nation's drugfighting efforts.

But Rep. Tom Barrett, DWis., the ranking Democrat on the panel, said
Hastert's criticism amounted to little more than ``a cheap shot.''

``It's easy to criticize the president's budget when Republicans haven’t
produced a budget of their own,'' he said.

The guard's Drug Demand Reduction effort includes youth leadership
training camps and mentoring programs throughout Washington state, Owen
said.

Guardsmen facilitate and or participate in more than 100 visits annually
to private and public schools, 75 community events, 25 youth leadership
camps and 50 civic group presentations, he said.

The guard's Counterdrug Task Force provides support in Washington state
to 30 local, state and federal lawenforcement agencies as well as 20
statewide, multiagency Narcotic Task Forces.

``That's a pretty darn good dollar multiplier,'' Hubbert said.

Specially equipped aircraft provide regional support at there quest of
lawenforcement agencies, flying 2,488 flight hours in direct support of
law agencies over the last 18 months.

``Because of the shortage of trained personnel with the guard and the
increasing demand for services, approximately 15 percent of the mission
requests are turned down,'' Owen said.

``I have every confidence that my troops on the front lines of
prevention in Washington state will fight well and we can beat back this
epidemic. But we need the National Guard.

Unfortunately, the impact of the National Guard's efforts will be gone
if this funding is taken away.''

Here's one that really needs responding to, especially considering how
we all feel about the use of the National Guard in these matters. Please
write the Spokesman and let them know what you think.

Tom Hawkins
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