SUPREME PROTECTION

As a matter of law, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision affirming public
housing authorities' power to evict the families of drug users is a
no-brainer. The Constitution guarantees no right to publicly subsidized
housing, let alone to lawbreakers and their families. No wonder the court,
which is usually divided on most issues, was unanimous in its ruling.

But just because the policy is constitutional, is it just? The horror
stories of the plaintiffs in the case -- elderly residents evicted for
family members' crimes that they didn't even know about -- are appalling.

The alternative, however, is even worse. As Chief Justice William Rehnquist
wrote in his opinion, "a tenant who cannot control ... criminal activities
by a household member ... is a threat to other residents."

Drug dealers, users and gangs have made public housing in Los Angeles and
elsewhere dangerous for innocent families who are trying only to build a
better life for themselves.

By ruling in support of zero-tolerance laws, the court has made public
housing safer and better for everyone.