MARIJUANA BUS ADS CAUSE CUTS

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Ernest Istook has sliced the budget of the
Washington transit authority by more than $90,000 because of ads
placed on local buses promoting the legalization of marijuana. Istook,
R-Warr Acres, sent a letter Nov. 10 to the chairman of the Washington
Metropolitan Area Transit Authority saying that members of Congress
and senior Bush administration officials had complained about the ads.

The letter from Istook said one ad shows a couple embracing and has a
caption that urges, "Enjoy Better Sex!" That ad, along with others,
has the tag line, "Legalize and Tax Marijuana."

"At a time when the nation and Washington, D.C., area in particular
suffer from chronic substance abuse and sexually transmitted disease,
I find it shocking that WMATA provides this ad space, and at no cost!"
Istook's letter states.

Istook is chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees
transportation spending.