WHEN WILL COUNCILMAN TACKLE REAL PROBLEMS?

I have to wonder how many times Denver Councilman Charlie Brown was
indoctrinated or "pot-ty" trained by movies such as Reefer Madness,
and then later by the Just Say No and the war on drugs political
pseudo-programs ("Denver councilman calls pro-pot signs 'devious,' "
Oct. 13). To continue to cling to old anti-pot statements such as
marijuana being a "gateway drug" proves the point. He is quoted in
reference to marijuana, "You start using that and where do you end
up?"

After reading and studying the sad facts about the effects of alcohol
- - the car wrecks, the assaults, the fights, the divorces, the abuse,
the medical and law enforcement costs - a reasonable and thinking
person must ponder, "What drug could ever be worse than this?"

So I must ask Brown if he would let go of the slogans and tackle a
real problem rather than wasting time on devious and dramatic sign
pulling for show and newsprint. One warning though: When any
politician decides to act concerning real problems such as alcohol
abuse, there is a tendency to lose political friends and corporate
support.

Jeffrey Roche

Idaho Springs