'ILLEGAL DRUGS' TAX WOULD BE WRONG

Collecting taxes on illegal drugs in Mississippi, as proposed, would
send the wrong message to our children ("Budget talks going down to
the wire," March 26). I think it cheapens Mississippi, her people, and
everything that we have traditionally stood for.

We are a proud, hard-working group of people known for getting
whatever we have the honest way. As a state, we should not want to be
associated with the taxing of illegal drugs in any way.

The media boast how taxing has worked in other states, but I was
surprised that all the local media outlets failed to mentioned that
the taxing of illegal drugs was discontinued in Texas after it foiled
the conviction of a drug dealer.

In a 1996 case (Mark Stennet vs. State) the Texas Court Of Criminal
Appeals ruled 5-4 that prosecuting drug dealers and imposing punitive
taxes on their confiscated drugs violates the constitutional ban
against double jeopardy. The conviction was overturned.

Cornelius Amos

Morton