FAILING ON DRUGS

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - During his unexpectedly rough and tumble battle in the
Republican presidential primary race against Sen. John McCain of Arizona,
Texas Gov. George W. Bush metamorphosed from a William McKinley Republican
into a "Reformer with Results."

Bush nevertheless continued to oppose the landmark McCain-Feingold Campaign
Finance Reform bill, leading McCain to wryly comment, "If Governor Bush is
a reformer then I'm an astronaut."

While Bush as president eventually signed the bill, it was only after much
hemming and hawing. That he signed it all was most likely due to White
House adviser Karl Rove's keen eye on the political map.

With this in mind, it only seems appropriate that Ohio, the state that
launched the political career of astronaut John Glenn, presents the latest
example of a political legacy - a member of the venerable Taft family -
opposing common sense and overdue reform.

Gov. Bob Taft, a Republican, is using his political clout to oppose a drug
sentencing reform effort known as Issue One.

This proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution, which will be on the
ballot on Nov. 5, would send first and second time drug users to treatment
centers instead of jail.

This potential state amendment should make sense to anyone who has been
paying attention to the war on drugs over the last 20 years. This misguided
crusade has been about as successful as the war in Vietnam.

More than 2 million American are in prison for drug-related offenses. The
nation relies on mandatory minimum sentences for small-time users, allowing
judges the same discretion in sentencing as traffic cops.

Ironically, the movie "Traffic," which weaves a number of tales into a
story of the failure inherent in our drug policies, is largely set in
Taft's home city of Cincinnati.

Issue One will do what the voters have opted to do in Arizona and
California: reform an out-of-control and inefficient criminal justice
system that ruins lives through the stigma of a prison record, costs
taxpayers a staggering amount of money, and puts drug users in jail with
hardened criminals so they can better learn their trade.

While talking a good game about solving the state's drug problem, Ohio
under Taft's leadership has one of the worst records when it comes to
spending on drug treatment.

Taft has slashed the budget for treatment services to pre-inaugural levels,
helping Ohio attain the dubious honor of ranking among the worst states in
America in per-capita funding for drug treatment services.

Long waiting lists for drug users seeking treatment are once again the
norm, according to a report by the state's lead agency for drug treatment.

As Ed Orlett, Issue One's campaign director puts it, "Anyone who looks
honestly at the statistics has to realize Ohio is not doing enough to
provide drug treatment. The consequence of this failure is more widespread
addiction and criminality, and far higher prison budgets."

Taft himself makes the best argument for passing Issue One, which
guarantees direct funding for treatment and rehabilitation programs for
seven fiscal years through 2009.

When left to politicians with political agendas, one can expect that tax
cuts or other goodies will always be prioritized ahead of treating those
suffering from the scourge of drug addiction.

A report by Alan Johnson in the Sept. 26 edition of the state's Columbus
Dispatch notes Ohio taxpayers would save $109 million dollars over these
seven fiscal years by spending on treatment as opposed to incarceration.
Aren't conservatives like Taft supposed to like smaller government? The
possibility exists that two state prisons could be closed, leading to
further savings.

Taft's Democrat opponent, Cuyahoga County, Ohio Commissioner Tim Hagan, has
endorsed Issue One so, hopefully, this important measure can be the subject
of meaningful debate in the closing days of the campaign.