Pubdate: Thu, 26 Apr 2007
Source: Asheville Citizen-Times (NC)
Copyright: 2007 Asheville Citizen-Times
Contact:  http://www.citizen-times.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/863
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n474/a09.html?21846
Author: Phillip Monk

MUMPOWER IS WASTING HIS TIME AND OUR TAX MONEY

Carl Mumpower's misguided crusade on the drug culture has only 
contributed to more wasteful spending.

The Friday the 13th debacle was a staged event with the taxpayers of 
Asheville picking up the tab. The four arrests (all out-of-town 
folks) will have absolutely no effect on the drug problem here in 
Asheville, but Mumpower had to do it since his actions in the 
projects were giving him a bad name. He said it best "...it's not 
fair to the black people who live in public housing ... to ignore the 
white free spirits..." Regardless of his racial pandering, we have 
been "throwing the bums in jail" for 30 years and it has gotten us 
only deeper into the hole. Why do we have a bed in jail for these 
people, but there are no beds in rehab for them? Rehabilitation isn't 
cheap but is more effective than $36,000 a year for incarceration.

Instead of paying to repair damaged families and reduce drug demand, 
we have to pay for Mumpower's own political cover.

And that is a crime by itself.

Phillip Monk

Weaverville
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman