Media Awareness Project

DrugSense FOCUS Alert 251, Feb. 3, 2002

GOVERNOR JEB BUSH AND TOUGH DRUG LAW POLICIES


PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE


For the past three years Governor Jeb Bush and his mouthpiece, Florida Drug Czar Jim McDonough have been criticized for the state's aggressive policy against drug users, which focuses on incarceration in the prisons and county jails. They have deflected these complaints by telling us how important they believe drug treatment is and its being a better approach to dealing with drug abuse and the associated crimes that often go with it.

Now we read Monday where Bush has trashed the state budget which pays for drug treatment in our prisons, thus ending programs in all but four of the states facilities. And less than 48 hours later, his daughter is arrested on felony drug charges. While we all hope that Ms Bush gets any and all appropriate help she needs, it brings clearly to the forefront the hypocrisy of 'get tough on drugs' laws.

WRITE A LETTER TODAY

It's not what others do it's what YOU do




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http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm

and/or

http://www.mapinc.org/lists/index.htm#form

This is VERY IMPORTANT as it is one very effective way of gauging our impact and effectiveness.




CONTACT INFO

Following is a list of most Florida newspapers. We invite you to write to any or all of them. Of course since this is also national news with regards to Noelle Bush, you are encouraged to write your local papers as well with appropriate references.

Most media Email LTE addresses can be found at:

http://www.mapinc.org/resource/email.htm

The biggest paper in the state(circulation)is the St Petersburg Times

Other major market papers are:

Tampa Tribune:

Miami Herald:

Orlando Sentinel:

Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville):

Ft Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel:

Palm Beach Post:

Florida Today (Melbourne/SpaceCoast): http://www.floridatoday.com/forms/services/letters.htm

A smaller paper, but likely the MOST favorable to drug policy reform in the state is The Northwest Florida Daily News:

Other papers, alphabetically:

Bradenton Herald: http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/contact_us/feedback_np1/

Bradford County Telegraph:

Daytona Beach News-Journal:

Destin News:

Florida Alligator (Univ of Florida):

FSU Views (FL State in Tallahassee):

Gainesville Sun:

Key West Citizen:

The Ledger(Lakeland):

News-Herald (Panama City):

News-Press (Ft Myers):

Pensacola News-Journal:

Sarasota Herald-Tribune:

St Augustine Record:

Best for last...home of Governor Jeb Bush and family, the state capitol: Tallahassee Democrat: (And if the Democrat tells you they don't print letters from outside their area, refer them to Dave Michon's PUB LTE of Jan 31...he's from Wisconsin...not exactly local.)

Good luck and thanks for any and all support




NOTE: Please address each newspaper one at a time using the To: field of your email program. Be sure to use the newspaper name somewhere in each message. Newspaper editors expect that you are addressing them only - they are quick to hit the delete key if they think you are sending something to multiple publications.




ORIGINAL ARTICLES

Following is an example of each of the two stories referenced. They ran in most all Florida newspapers in virtually the same form.

The cutback on drug treatment funds for state prisons was originally reported in The Miami Herald

US FL: Florida Slashing Care for Drug Addicts URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n144/a02.html

Versions of the Noelle Bush arrest ran nationwide. A general sample of this news story can be seen from the article which ran in the Orlando Sentinel:

US FL: Drug Charge Filed Against Governor's Daughter URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n155/a04.html




SAMPLE LETTER

To the editor:

First we read Monday where Governor Jeb Bush has trashed the state budget which pays for drug treatment in our prisons, thus ending programs in all but four of the states facilities. And less than 48 hours later, his daughter is arrested on felony drug charges.

While we all hope that Ms Bush gets any and all appropriate help she needs, it brings clearly to the forefront the hypocrisy of 'get tough on drugs' laws. Virtually all Floridians who are arrested on drug charges feel the full brunt of these harsh policies. Unless one has sufficient money to hire competent defense counsel, you are assured of being jammed into the criminal justice system. Upon your emergence months (or years) later, you will find employment difficult to obtain, you will no longer qualify for federal student loans, you will never again be able to vote in Florida (if a felony), you will be barred from a long list of professions. And if you still have the root problems which lead to drug abuse --who cares? We'll just run you through the mill again.

Governor Bush endorses draconian drug policies because he knows that his family and friends will never have to experience the full and complete life shattering consequences of these policies. If he says otherwise now, you don't have to 'read his lips'. Just check his proposed state budget.

Respectfully submitted,

Stephen Heath Drug Policy Forum of Florida (contact info - address and phone number)

NOTE: If you choose to use this letter as a model please modify it at least somewhat so that the paper does not receive numerous copies of the same letter and so that the original author receives credit for his/her work.




ADDITIONAL INFO to help you in your letter writing efforts

Writer's Resources http://www.mapinc.org/resource/




Prepared by Stephen Heath http://www.drugsense.org/dpffl DrugSense FOCUS Alert Specialist

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