Pubdate: Sat, 27 Jan 2001 Source: The World (OR) Copyright: 2001 Southwestern Oregon Publishing Company Contact: P.O. Box 1840, Coos Bay, OR 97420 Fax: (541) 267-0294 Website: http://www.theworldlink.com/ Author: Alice Blank Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n114/a09.html NO MORE RIPPING US OFF Three cheers for Measure 3! Yes, there still is intelligent life in Oregon. The proof was on our ballots. Apparently I'm not the only person around here who's tired of living in fear. Thanks to Measure 3, we all can feel safer in our homes. Prosecutor Frasier whines that Measure 3 takes away "their" money (his and SCINT's) (The World, Jan. 20) Pardon me mister, but that's our money, not yours. Before Measure 3, those goons were free to help themselves to anyone's assets in a nice, big free-for-all. I guess it can become pretty habit-forming, taking what isn't yours without impunity. Thanks to those mean old voters who opted for Measure 3 last November, the party's over now. SCINT and the police are no longer free to rip us off blind on a whim or a hunch and pocket all the spoils! This is breaking our hearts. Lincoln County's argument that Measure 3 is unconstitutional for amending more than one part of the Constitution intrigues me. After all, punishment without due process of law was unconstitutional to begin with. Who do these people think they're fooling? Seizure and forfeiture is just one more abuse of power, carried on in the name of the "war on drugs," and it is legally sanctioned theft. Many of these forfeiture cases are based only on hearsay; yet even when no evidence is found, seized assets are never returned. This threatens all of us: drug users and non-users alike. Police captain Bill Kinch protests that Measure 3 is unjust. Gee, that's too bad. If SCINT personnel suddenly find themselves kicked off the gravy train and sucking dry lemons, maybe they out to have a bake sale. Or better yet, Looney and his goons can find something more useful to do, like catching burglars and rapists; maybe even nabbing a few of those white-collar criminals! Meanwhile, I think Captain Kinch needs to stop his whining and get back to doing the job our tax money paid him to do: hunting down the real criminals. Then maybe he and his cronies will leave the rest of us alone. To my fellow voters, a toast to freedom! Alice Blank, Coos Bay - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk