Pubdate: Fri, 06 May 2005 Source: Daily Home, The (Talladega, AL) Copyright: 2005 Consolidated Publishing Contact: http://www.dailyhome.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1632 Note: also listed as contact FEDERAL FUNDS A MUST FOR FIGHTING ILLEGAL DRUGS With statistics for illegal drug use climbing, it makes little sense that federal funds used to combat the problem are in jeopardy of being lost. But that is where agencies like the successful Talladega County Drug Task Force are finding themselves today, wondering whether or not they will have enough funds next year to continue their work. The U.S. Department of Justice funds allocated through the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs were already down by more than $2 million this year. And President Bush's fiscal 2006 budget proposes eliminating the funds that go to agencies like Talladega County's altogether. We understand Talladega County District Attorney Steve Giddens' frustration. He sees the negative effects doing without can have when it comes to combating drug traffic in the county. At a time when methamphetamine production and usage have reached epidemic proportions here at home and around the country, it seems unwise that federal money is on the budget chopping block. Just take a look at the numbers. In this fiscal year alone, which began in October, the county's drug force lawmen have made 80 methamphetamine cases and seized 22 labs that make the illegal drug. And that's just meth cases over a six-month period. The task force deals with cocaine and prescription drug trafficking as well, making the battle that much harder and that much more expensive. "And the government's response to this spiraling problem is to cut our funding," Giddens concluded. If DOJ does withdraw funding, it would mean that agencies back home must find a way to come up with a 50 percent match rather than the 25 percent match they have now. That makes the effort much more difficult to afford, and we are glad to see that Senators Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby and Third District Congressman Mike Rogers say they favor continued funding. Each member of Alabama's delegation ought to oppose the president's proposal. Not one part of any of our communities is untouched by the problems caused by illegal drugs. Whether it is drug abuse, drug trafficking or crimes related to it, the problems impact whole communities, not just parts of them. Whatever our agencies can do to turn these statistics around should have support from the federal government on down. Federal grants for manpower, vehicles and equipment must be part of that equation. - --- MAP posted-by: SHeath(DPFFLorida)