Pubdate: Fri, 12 Nov 1999 Source: Albany Times Union (NY) Copyright: 1999, Capital Newspapers Division of The Hearst Corporation, Albany, Contact: http://www.timesunion.com/ Author: John J Pagoda, Albany Chapter of ReconsiDer LOOK AT BUSH'S RECORD ON DRUGS AS PUBLIC OFFICIAL To the editor: The media's most recent attempt to create an issue out of George Bush's cocaine use as a private citizen is but another example of junk-food journalism that served only to obfuscate the more important issue of his record on drugs as a public official. As governor of Texas, George Bush slashed drug treatment programs and increased criminal penalties for drug users that resulted in a 60 percent increase in the Texas prison population. He also signed legislation approving the loss of welfare benefits and the loss of college grants to those who use illegal drugs. Governor Bush may claim to be a compassionate conservative, and the corporation-controlled media may recite the mantra ad nauseam, but his policy on drugs speaks volumes about what the public should and should not expect from a George Bush presidency. If Governor Bush successfully buys the presidency in the new millennium, we should expect more punishment for those unable to afford the acts of youthful indiscretion that only the privileged and the politically powerful are permitted to enjoy without suffering any consequences. We should also expect an escalation of the war on drugs, which after two decades has only resulted in a further blurring of the distinction between a democracy and a police state. This is evidenced by an increase in the prison population, which already exceeds that of any other country, and the continuing erosion of civil liberties once guaranteed by a constitution that proclaims life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for its citizens. Finally, we should expect another $17 billion to be wasted by big government on a growing prison-industrial complex instead of being more prudently used to ensure that all Americans have adequate and affordable health care, to improve our educational system, to train workers who were displaced by corporate downsizing, and provide jobs for those in need due to welfare reform. In the final analysis, the only thing we should not expect from a George Bush presidency is a drug policy that is based on compassion or the financial conservatism of less government. JOHN J. PAGODA Albany Chapter, ReconsiDer Rensselaer - --- MAP posted-by: manemez j lovitto