FINLEY WRONG TO CUT FUNDING

I am responding to the Oct. 16 article "Sheriff drops fight to fund DARE."

County Executive Daniel Finley is wrong in cutting this program's funds.
One of his arguments was that it was too costly. Instead of cutting the
entire program from the budget, why not re-evaluate where the funds are
going? Are they going toward supplies for drug use prevention education, or
are they going into a pension fund?

In his ultimatum to Sheriff William Kruziki, Finley said that if the DARE
program were kept, two officers must be released. Finley also said that he
wanted the presence of the police to be felt and all possible resources to
be put into public safety.

First, how safe is a city in which uneducated youths have smoked themselves
retarded? Second, are two officers really going to be able to increase the
public's awareness of the number of law enforcement officers? Are two
officers really going to be able to protect all of Waukesha in the event of
an anthrax outbreak? Highly unlikely.

As a graduate of the DARE program and a non-substance abuser, I regret that
the same education from which I benefited will be withheld from the next
generation.

Katy Meyer
New Berlin