CRACK-PIPE HANDOUT A CRACKPOT IDEA

Editor:

I would bet 99.9 per cent of Prince George residents are opposed to
the handing out of free crack pipes, needles, and other drug
paraphernalia with taxpayers' money. Most of us just don't have the
time to read the papers let alone write letters to the editor to
complain about it and voice out our opinions. A lot of us are already
working two to three minimum-paying jobs just to make ends meet, as
well as juggling our time with our endless and ongoing household chores.

To all those who wrote against these freebies and giveaways, thank
you. I am glad that "Sophie" is telling her story as it is. Breaking
her silence had given us the full knowledge (although we already know
it in our hearts and in our minds) that this program had taken us all
for a wild ride of spending and wasting our hard-earned money
subsidizing the habits of addicts and promoting the criminal
activities of drug dealers. At least no one could tell her that she
doesn't know what she is talking about or that she hasn't walked in
their shoes because she had lived it, breathed it, experienced it,
hallucinated it, swallowed it, imagined it, pictured it, and slept
with it. Yes, she had been "to hell and back."

Now that the municipal election is fast approaching and provincial
election is looming ahead, all candidates should put this issue on
their agenda. Whoever gets voted in should put the taxpayers' money to
better and productive use, not in enhancing, aiding, promoting,
abetting, and encouraging illegal drug use. We should stop handing out
these freebies now (pronto) and cut down on all criminal activities
such as break and enters, impaired driving, murder, assault, battery,
mugging, panhandling, robbing, drug trafficking, kidnapping,
car-napping, etc. as these crimes are all interrelated, and most of
all -- impose heavy fines and punishment instead of giving "slap in
the wrist" justices so these perpetrators are deterred and hindered to
go back on the streets again.

IDA NICOLETTI

Prince George