ONE STRIKE FOR SOME, MANY FOR OTHERS

Barbara Hill's grandson was caught smoking marijuana in the parking lot of
her Oakland public housing complex. Barbara Bush's granddaughter Noelle was
arrested a few blocks from the Florida governor's mansion occupied by her
father, Jeb. Posing as a doctor, Noelle had called in a phony prescription
for the narcotic Xanax.

The Supreme Court just ruled it's legal for Barbara Hill to be evicted from
her home of 30 years because of her teen-age grandson's first-time offense.
Hill and three other elderly public housing residents had challenged the
federal "one strike and you're out" policy.

The policy promotes evicting families who live in public housing or receive
rental subsidies if any household member or guest engages in criminal
activity, alcohol abuse or illegal drug-related activity on or off the
premises. Tenants must not only be innocent themselves, they must prevent
wrongdoing by others, even if they know nothing about it. Thousands of
people have been evicted nationwide, including battered women evicted
because a crime occurred when their husbands beat them.

There is no law saying politicians' families should be evicted from public
executive housing if their family members or guests are arrested.

About 14 million Americans have used illegal drugs in the past month,
mostly marijuana, according to government data. Imagine if everyone they
lived with or visited could be thrown out of their homes - or lose their
mortgage interest deduction, which is the government's biggest housing subsidy.

What if the Bush family lived in low-income public housing instead of the
White House and governor's mansion?

Barbara Bush's granddaughter is a repeat offender who has endangered
herself and others. According to Florida motor vehicle records reported in
the press, Noelle Bush has been involved in three car accidents, received
seven speeding tickets, and been cited for five other traffic violations
since 1995.

Noelle Bush has been treated for drug addiction in the past. In the real
world, drug abusers come from all walks of life, and addiction doesn't end
just because parents or grandparents want it to. It often takes repeat
treatment. Noelle is lucky her family can afford it.

In the war on drugs that Noelle's father and uncle shape, prevention is
shortchanged, nonviolent drug offenders can get longer sentences than
murderers and waiting lists for subsidized drug treatment are hopelessly
long. Unfortunately, lawmakers don't do unto others what they would have
others do to them. The powerful live by different rules. For public housing
residents, double standards mean a grandchild's marijuana joint can mean
homelessness for the whole family.

Double standards mean that the majority of drug users are white, but the
majority of drug possession offenders in prison are black and Latino. The
list of one strike, you're out drug rules for low-income people is growing.
One strike, you're out of public housing. One strike, goodbye to federal
college financial aid. One strike, a life sentence of ineligibility for
welfare.

Lawmakers should pass policies that make sense and laws that fit the crime,
whether they are committed by members of their own family or another.