DRUG WAR

To The Editor:

School Taxes up, county taxes up. Now possible sales tax increase.
Everyone complains, but can't see the forest because of the trees!
('Sales Tax Going To 8 Percent', (Editorial Tues. 29 2003).

On 18 June 2003, 'Legislators question whether area has to many
police'! They completely ignored, 'Coke Sting' (27 July 2003). If the
two non-violent charges get 25 to life in prison it will cost
taxpayers over a half a million dollars.

Who sold the 6 ounces of cocaine? A county police officer. They took
drugs off the street that police put there. I call that manufacturing
a drug war. They then had to call in K-9 unit from Massena, officers
from Ogdensburg police, U.S. Customs, New York State police, U.S.
Border Patrol, DEA, and St Law. County Sheriff's Department to arrest
them out side of where the sting took place!

More cost to re-field test and re-laboratory test? Wouldn't that have
been done when law enforcement first obtained the drugs?

The real waste of tax dollars come if the two individuals only get the
90 day Willard program.

Mr. Editor you pointed out the tax waste of the new County building,
the waste of the new tobacco law. You completely ignore the biggest
tax dollar waste, the failed war on drugs.

How can the county put a dent in the drug trade when the county puts
the drugs on the street to take them off? Drug prohibition has been
one of the biggest U.S. domestic policy failures of the late twentieth
century. Why is a perpetuation of this failure more desirable than
serious consideration of alternative policy options?

Larry Seguin

Lisbon