CHARLESTON COUNTY GIVES DONATION TO DRUG-REFORM GROUP

$500 From Budget Raises Questions Over Financing

CHARLESTON - The chairman of the Charleston County Council said he
was appalled the county put $500 in its budget to support a group
that wants to reform South Carolina's drug laws.

Council Chairman Leon Stavrinakis said he recently became aware of
the money that another council member directed to South Carolinians
for Drug Law Reform.

"I'm appalled by it," Stavrinakis said.

"I wish I had known."

Councilman Henry Darby said he supported the donation because the
state's drug laws need to be changed.

In the past, the entire county council agreed on contributions to
nonprofit groups such as the Special Olympics, churches and small
community centers.

But the council is now elected from single-member districts and this
year's $430,650 for outside groups was divided among the members who
decided which groups to support.

Darby, a member of the drug reform group, supports medical marijuana
use for terminally ill patients.

He said prison sentences in South Carolina are stiffer for crack
cocaine users, who tend to be poor, than for heroin or cocaine users,
who often come from the upper or middle class.

"I would never concur with legalizing drugs for the sole sake of
usage," he said, adding the reform group feels treatment is better
than punishment.

The $500 request was made by Sharon Fratepietro when she was head of
the reform group last year.

She said the money was to be used to lobby lawmakers but a drug
reform bill was never drafted.

She said the money will be returned because "it doesn't look like
anything is going to be happening."

During a Thursday meeting of the county council's Finance Committee,
members suggested there needs to be changes in the system, although
the $500 contribution was not discussed.

Councilman Curtis Bostic said the county should consider scrapping
all contributions this year and reconsider them next year.

Some council members questioned whether some of the recipients are
really nonprofit groups.

"There have been some really bad decisions made in some spending,"
Stavrinakis said. "I don't like this system."

"We've been making mistakes for many, many years," Councilman Teddie Pryor said.