DRUG WAR

U.S. Aid To Mexico Could Help Local Communities, Too

California, including the North Coast, could benefit from a deal
being worked out between the Bush administration and Mexican
President Felipe Calderon.

Under the plan, the United States would provide an undisclosed (but
reportedly large) amount of money to Mexico to help its government
fund anti-drug cartel programs.

For Mexico, the aid comes at a time when the country has been rocked
by a war between drug cartels that has resulted in more than 3,000
deaths. For the U.S., the aid could help staunch the flow of drugs
into this country.

For states like California, whose freeways serve as pipelines for
drug traffickers and whose gangs serve as distribution centers, the
aid could help reduce the associated violence and crime.

In Northern California, cartels have funded and operated many of the
major marijuana "gardens" that have been found in state parks and on
other public lands. These illegal plots destroy sensitive habitat and
create dangerous situations for hikers.

The details of this plan need to be worked out to ensure that the
money is used effectively and doesn't end up in the wrong hands. But
arguments over the fine points shouldn't become grounds to stop this
program, which could benefit Mexico, the U.S. and local communities.