Pubdate: Mon, 03 Feb 1997
Source: San Francisco Examiner (CA)
Author: Gerald M. Sutliff

Alex MacDonald elegantly presents a worm's eye view of the lives of SSI
recipients addicted to illegal drugs. His description feels accurate.

If we taxpayers were willing to subsidize these addicts with good, cheap,
clean dope and safe needles, we could save a bundle and help make the
streets safe, cleaner and better.  In such a case then SSI, if it were
reinstated, very possibly could support these people and keep them from
mugging, stealing and trading sex for drugs and drugs for sex.  If the
insanity of their everyday lives were lessened, some might find enough hope
to seek help with their addictions.

That's a lot of "ifs." But what could be worse than the hell MacDonald
describes, for The City and its inhabitants?

Gerald M. Sutliff

Walnut Creek