Pubdate: Mon, 10 Apr 2000 Source: Daily Iowan, The (IA) Copyright: 2000 The Daily Iowan Contact: Attn Viewpoints Editor, 201N Communications Center, Iowa City IA 52242 Website: http://www.dailyiowan.com/ Author: Cory Meier is a DI editorial writer. Bookmark: MAP's link to Iowa articles is: http://www.mapinc.org/states/ia CLINTON PROPOSAL IS THE LATEST WASTE OF DRUG-WAR MONEY Each year, as April 15 nears, Americans wonder just exactly where their tax dollars are going. This year, if Congress approves President Clinton's recent proposal, 1.3 billion of those hard-earned dollars will find themselves in Colombia. What will they do down there? Not much. People who prefer that tax dollars are spent wisely should contact their congressional representatives and demand an alternative to Clinton's highly questionable proposal. The aid package is worthy of review for myriad reasons. Colombia is a country of perpetual chaos; with poverty reigning and guerilla forces controlling approximately half the land, many people have no choice but to work in cocaine production. It is these innocent civilians who bear the brunt of the fighting between the cocaine-financed rebels and the U.S. drug war-financed government. More U. S. money only makes the fighting bloodier, with no effect on the level of cocaine exports. In addition, there are a number of domestic questions surrounding the proposal. First, there is the sheer size of the aid package. A year ago, the White House was unwilling to fund three Black Hawk helicopters for Colombia. Now, Clinton is calling for 63 U.S.-made helicopters and $68 million to upgrade radar planes used to track drug smugglers. Beside the fact more hardware has yet to result in less cocaine, administration officials have acknowledged that the Colombian Army doesn't even have enough hangars in which to store the helicopters or pilots to operate that many choppers. Second, election-year politics seems to be rearing its ugly head. Despite government figures that indicate drug use has been static over the past five years, a poll presented to the White House in September showed that the public perceived that drug use was on the rise and tended to blame Democrats. Some sort of action suddenly became imperative; Clinton's party simply couldn't afford to hand Republicans the drug issue on a silver platter. The poll, however, was commissioned by Lockheed Martin, a persistent pusher for heavy increases in drug interdiction, and the defense contractor that makes the radar planes facing upgrades -- hardly the act of a disinterested party. Third, a flurry of lobbying efforts and monetary contributions by companies with military contracts has many wondering just how influential such activities can be. Lockheed Martin has given a total of $1.8 million to both parties but stands to gain $68 million to upgrade the radar planes. United Technologies and Textron, both makers of military helicopters to be given to Colombia should Clinton's proposal pass, stand to gain $454 million. Their price: $1.4 million and a few exciting helicopter rides for congressional members. While the proposal is currently stalled in the Senate, it is expected to be picked up and passed later this week, despite the questions and controversy surrounding it. That is, unless fed-up tax payers, those tired of powerful lobbies and political maneuvering and people who care about the welfare of individuals in other countries raise their voices and demand that Congress develops an alternative to Clinton's dubious and wasteful plan. - --- MAP posted-by: Eric Ernst