COPs on the Hill: Stories from the week of July 30, 2010

The wine is sweeter today:  This week the House passed by voice vote (no one heard a nay*) the Webb Criminal Justice Commission bill.    The commission will study drug prohibition and make recommendations to the Congress on whether to keep all of it, some of it, none of it, etc.   The Senate is expected (but don’t hold your breath) to pass it in September.  Medium sized step..

 As a bonus the House passed and it now goes for Obama’s signature a bill to reduce the disparity between crack and powder cocaine from 100:1 to 18:1.   This an 82% improvement not based in science (in which case it would be 1:1).   Still this will allow thousands to dealers to go free and act as a model for the states to adopt the federal standard.   Some states have already gone 1:1.

As my LEAP colleague Tom Angell pointed out, it was very significant that the Republicans did not demand a roll call vote on either bill.   “Soft on drugs/soft on crime” has been used by the Rs for decades to hurt the Dems.  On this day, they allowed good legislation to go forward without a recorded vote.

Karen and I start a week long vacation today, so no letter next week.

 Nay = nein

www.mapinc.org   considered this the best published LTE a  few weeks ago.  It was in my hometown paper. 

 LETTER OF THE WEEK

 LOST WAR ON DRUGS AND ITS CASUALTIES

 When you lie down with dogs, often you will get up with fleas.  Yet another in my profession (Megan Mattingly) has been tainted* by the enforcement of drug prohibition.  Add her to the many, many thousands who have been corrupted or killed, or who have committed suicide after being corrupted.  And for what? We in law enforcement know that every drug dealer arrested is replaced within days.  The nine suspects released (or even if they had gone to prison) are meaningless.

 A trillion tax dollars spent and 40 years of serious effort have resulted in a Maryland free of drugs? No.  Quite the contrary.  Drugs are cheaper, stronger and readily available to our teens.

 Please tell this reader again why you support this Bridge to Nowhere policy.

 Howard Wooldridge,  retired detective/officer

 Buckeystown

 Source: Frederick News Post (MD)

 Pubdate: Mon, 21 Jun 2010

Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n000/a017.html

Tainted = Makel – Spur

 COP stats since August 2009:

 443  presentations to Congressional Staffers 

7 presentations to VIPs (elected officials)

38 published Letters to the Editor ( one more this week)

Numerous conferences, hearings & briefings attended.  C-Span broadcast my question at a Senate briefing. 

12  radio shows 

8  TV interviews (Colombian TV, Fox and Univision, NBC, cable)

Consider being a member of COPs at $30.00 or more per year.    Add your voice to those who agree that Modern Prohibition/War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional and immoral policy since slavery & Jim Crow.  Go to: www.CitizensOpposingProhibition.org and click on Donate/Join – by credit card or check.

Howard

Detective/Officer Howard  Wooldridge (retired)

Drug Policy Specialist, COP – www.CitizensOpposingProhibition.org

Washington, DC

817-975-1110 Cell

howard@citizensopposingprohibition.org

Citizens Opposing Prohibition – Become a Member

PO Box 772

Buckeystown, MD  21717-0772

Modern Prohibition/The War on Drugs is the most destructive, dysfunctional &  immoral  domestic policy since slavery  & Jim Crow.