WEBB'S DRUG ABUSE PROPOSAL

A different legacy?

Re: "Webb to wage war on drug addiction; Prevention, treatment to be
stressed," Jan. 9.

Mayor Wellington Webb, in the twilight of his 12-year term as Denver's
mayor, has decided that he would like to be remembered for his
accomplishments in the areas of human needs and social services. His tax
proposals to fund programs for children have been defeated by voters on at
least two occasions in the past several years.

Now he proposes to spend $1 million, from an already strained budget, for a
drug abuse program. Perhaps these are projects Mayor Webb should have been
working on since he became Denver's mayor in 1991, rather than devoting so
much time to football stadiums. You can only go to the well so often.

Sorry, Mayor Webb, your legacy will be your 1998 campaign to have taxpayers
fund hundreds of millions for Invesco Field and, thus, help put millions
more into the pockets of Pat Bowlen and highly paid players. Your legacy
will be your disregard for the taxpayers when you opposed the sale of the
naming rights for Invesco Field.

MICHAEL MILLS, Lakewood

Where did other money go?

Regarding Mayor Webb's drug and alcohol treatment "or lack of" for Denver.
A couple of years ago, I attended a Weed and Seed program at Baker Middle
School with members of Denver politicos and Denver Police Department.

One of the concerned parties who lived in the neighborhood asked how the
Weed and Seed funds were going to be used.

Gale Norton and the DPD assured us that this money would be used for the
purpose of educating and treating Denver's drug and alcohol addicts. I
would like to ask how this money was spent before we, taxpayers, allocate
more money for the same alcohol and drug treatment programs.

DANIEL C. MARTINEZ, Denver