Pubdate: Mon, 12 May 1997 Source: Eugene Register Guard (OR) Author: Bruce House Dear Editors, State Politicians in Oregon are now considering re-criminalizing Marijuana and building 10 new prisons. In 1995-97 Oregon spent 467 Million dollars on prisons. In 1997-99 the Republicans propose 679 Million dollars and the Democratic Governor proposes 736 Million. Thats a 45% to 57% increase in taxes for prisons! (source: RG pge 8A, 4/7/97) We don't need 10 more prisons, we need to end drug prohibition. 30% of the States jail population and at least 50% of all police arrests are due to non-violent drug offenders. Also, many violent crimes are directly caused by drug prohibition, not drug use. You don't see liquor store owners shooting it out in the streets nor do you see children or illegal immigrants making a living selling alcohol because it is regulated. Violent crime dropped by 60% and the murder rate dropped by 50% at the end of alcohol prohibition. Measure 49 would create an Interstate Prison Industry. That gives corporations who fund some political campaigns a profit motive to incarcerate more non-violent offenders and use them as cheap prison labor. Measure 20-84 in Lane County would also fund 50 more jail beds for a cost of nearly 1 Million tax dollars at a time when 76% of Lane County's budget already goes to the Prison/Police Industry. America already has the worlds largest per-capita prison population. Do you really want 10 new prisons? What is the real future of your children under drug prohibition? I say, "Enough is Enough!" Vote to End Drug Prohibition and stop the prison industry for the same reasons America ended Alcohol Prohibition in 1933 and ended Slavery in 1865! The Government should not be initiating violence. With Peace, Bruce House Secretary of the Cannabis Liberation Society Registered Libertarian