Pubdate: Wed, 11 Oct 2006
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (GA)
Copyright: 2006 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Contact: http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/letters/sendletter.html
Website: http://www.accessatlanta.com/ajc/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/28
Author: James Salzer

$1 MILLION SOUGHT FOR METH FIGHT

Perdue: Hike GBI Budget To Increase Task Force Size

Gov. Sonny Perdue on Tuesday announced that he will ask  lawmakers to 
include an extra $1 million in the budget  to double the number of 
agents on the Georgia Bureau of  Investigation's Meth Force.

Perdue, who made the announcement during a news  conference at the 
GBI's Canton Regional Drug  Enforcement Office in Cherokee County, 
said he wants to  double the number of agents investigating 
methamphetamine trafficking, production and  distribution from 15 to 30.

"Georgia is waging an effective battle against the  scourge of 
methamphetamine with a strong local, state  and federal coalition," 
Perdue said in a statement. "An  additional 15 agents on the GBI Meth 
Force will double  the state's efforts to combat meth and related 
crimes  like burglaries, assaults and even homicides."

The governor said he will recommend lawmakers approve  the $1 million 
needed for the program in either the  midyear fiscal 2007 budget or 
the fiscal 2008 budget,  which begins July 1, 2007.

Perdue has been working on methamphetamine problems in  the state for 
several years. He signed bills to toughen  criminal sentences against 
those in the methamphetamine  business in 2003 and 2004. In 2005, he 
signed a bill  requiring products with pseudoephedrine - a key 
ingredient of meth - as the sole active ingredient to  be sold behind 
the counter of stores. He also held a  summit in 2004 to make 
recommendations on how to stem  the trade and use of methamphetamines.

The governor's announcement was the latest in a series  he's made in 
recent months as he runs for re-election.  He also held a news 
conferences to announce an increase  in the number of officials who 
will work to investigate  people suspected of using fake documents to 
get  driver's licenses. He's announced plans to eliminate  state 
income taxes for retirees and to put dropout  prevention counselors 
in middle schools. In each case,  the announcements were followed by 
TV campaign ads.
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