Pubdate: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 Source: Garden Island (HI) Copyright: 2003 Kauai Publishing Co. Contact: http://www.kauaiworld.com/kauai/letterstoeditor.nsf/webletter?openform Website: http://kauaiworld.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/964 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) Note: To read more about the "ice epidemic" in Hawaii, go to http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Hawaii . DRUG COORDINATOR Roy Nishida, a veteran administrator of a number of organizations on Kaua'i as well as former Gov. Ben Cayetano's liaison for the Island, is Mayor Bryan Baptiste's choice to head up the administration's war on drugs. Nishida is well respected in the community, and has a track record of success behind him, and we wish him well in taking up this position. The results of the drug task force will be obvious: If drug-related crimes go down, if the number of ice-addicted criminals entering our prisons goes down, if the use of drugs in our schools go down, then the program will have proved itself successful. Assistance from the federal government is needed in winning this local war. Advice and help from Federal Prosecutor Ed Kubo is needed from the outset. Kubo's implementation of the federal Weed and Seed program has brought change to formally drug plagued communities in Honolulu. The program first identifies towns with illicit drug use and dealing problems, then attacks the problems with federal law enforcement support for local police departments. Once the cancer-like problem is cut out, the healing begins with federal funds for community redevelopment. While relying on federal funds to heal local problems isn't always the answer, in this case it is necessary and essential. - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk