Pubdate: Tue, 31 Oct 2000 Source: Fresno Bee, The (CA) Copyright: 2000 The Fresno Bee Contact: http://www.fresnobee.com/man/opinion/letters.html Website: http://www.fresnobee.com/ Forum: http://www.fresnobee.com/man/projects/webforums/opinion.html Author: Ronald E. Brooks Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1511/a03.html CONTINUING EFFORT As a career law enforcement officer, who has served as a past president of the California Narcotic Officers' Association and current chairman of the National Narcotics Officers' Associations Coalition, I applaud your well-researched and timely report regarding methamphetamine and the devastation it is causing. I am, however, shocked at your question: "Where are the champions in Washington." Since 1995, Sen. Dianne Feinstein has been this state's champion on a variety of drug issues, primarily policies relating to methamphetamine. Sen. Feinstein has made the methamphetamine problem her legislative priority. She convened the Western States Methamphetamine Conference in San Francisco, and worked to designate the Central Valley as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. She authored the Precursor Control Act, and has been one of the forces responsible for an $18.2 million grant to funds the California Methamphetamine Strategy, used by state Attorney General Bill Lockyer's Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement to augment his already robust enforcement. We have also worked closely this year with Reps. Gary Condit and Doug Ose, who have led a bipartisan effort to continue the $18.2 million allocation to the California Meth Strategy for fiscal year 2001. This will assure that our efforts remain vigorous and continuous. Reps. Ose and Condit have been assisted by Reps. James Rogan, Cal Dooley, Robert Matsui, Richard Pombo, George Radanovich, Walley Herger and William Thomas. Ronald E. Brooks, Santa Clarita - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D