Before this week, I'd never heard of James Babb, let alone thought about whether he has what it takes to oust Carole Rubley in the 157th District state representative's race. Come to think of it, I'm still not all that sure who Rubley is or where one would find the 157th.
But none of that much matters. What's important is that I received an e-mail in which Babb, a Libertarian, announced the local premiere of a 12-minute "mini-documentary" about a new advocacy group. It read, "Law Enforcement Against Prohibition ( LEAP ) has released a scathing critique of modern drug prohibition ... as a way to educate the community about the drug war and the crime it creates."
Well, he had me at "Law."
If you've read my stuff for a while, you know I'm all Tosh when it comes to legalizing it. I wrote about it last November when my late mother's battle with brain cancer made me question why it's illegal for terminally ill patients to numb their pain by burning a joint. ( If they want to pull 5-foot bong hits, let 'em. ) I also touched on it in 2002 when I set out to find cops on the street who'd bust somebody solely for smoking weed in public. ( Not one cop said he would and even book-throwing Judge Seamus McCaffery said, "We've gotten to the point where it's pretty much looked upon as" an open-container violation. ) But as with Ed "N.J. Weedman" Forchion's pot-puffing crusade, not much happens when people publicly cry out for legalization, other than inevitable eye-rolls from uptight prudes who think herb sends bug-eyed smokers hurtling out the nearest high-rise window in a fit of reefer madness.
Good people, that may soon change.
When I read more of Babb's e-mail, I realized this LEAP thing can't be as easily dismissed as a bunch of hacky-sack-circling, NORML-pamphlet-pushing hippies from Swarthmore. By day's end, one former judge and two former cops ( all local ) shared the same convincing message: It's time to cut our mounting losses and run from the failed War on Drugs.
Let's start with Jack Cole, who retired from the N.J. State Police after 26 years, 14 of which he spent on undercover narcotics investigations. Today, he is executive director of LEAP ( www.leap.cc ), which has grown from five officers in 2002 to more than 5,000 police officers, judges, corrections officers, prosecutors and others spread across the country. He makes a convincing case.
"If we ended drug prohibition today, tomorrow all the drug lords, terrorists and street dealers would be out of business," he says. "If they're not in business, they're not out in the streets, and if they're not out in the streets, they're not shooting each other to protect their market share, catching innocent people and children in the crossfire."
Testify!
"The war on drugs has been, and forever will be, a total and abject failure," he continues. "This is a war on our own people. What if, today, we had legalized regulation of drugs and spent $69 billion a year on mandatory minimum education? Mandatory minimum health care? Jobs for anybody who wanted to work? Decent housing? We could do that kind of stuff with the money we're wasting on the war on drugs."
Preach on!
"We would almost do away with violent crime in this country," said Cole, noting the group follows a Vietnam Veterans Against the War philosophy. "These are the most racist laws since slavery."
When former cops admit such things, and draw attention to a British medical journal study that found a major drop-off in heroin use and overdoses when the Swiss government took a regulating role, people have to listen. Even if you got elected on the back of your law-and-order campaign platform, you shouldn't be legally permitted to ignore the reality that anti-drug initiatives divert much-needed resources from, oh, solving homicides in a city were more people are being killed and fewer cases are being cleared.
Fred Martens, the former head of the Pennsylvania Crime Commission, listened to his former partner Cole's argument. Then he signed up.
"Given what we know today, why not give it a try on a temporary basis and see what happens?" says Martens. "Given the fact that the drug war's a failure, it's worth looking at."
It sure is, but I'm not the person that Cole, Martens and all need to convince. To effect change, they'll need to continue lobbying their former peers, speaking at Rotary-type clubs across the country and setting up informational booths and civic-leader conferences. Cole promises they will.
"By the summer of 2008, I want 10,000 law enforcement members and a million private citizens who support what we're doing," he says. "If we get those numbers, and I'm almost sure we will, we will elevate the discussion of legalized regulation of drugs to the level of a presidential campaign issue. Then, we can show the candidates that they won't lose one more vote than they'll gain. We will end the prohibition on drugs."
A pipe dream? Maybe, but we'd all be better off if it came true.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Thank You For Not Snitching
THANK YOU FOR NOT SNITCHING When you're truly in a narcotic task force's crosshairs, they might give you a signal in the form of a simple rhyme: "Give us three, and we'll set you free." This couplet, most effective when recited by an agent perched on the lip of his chair, muscles tensed and ready, should be interpreted to mean that if you incriminate a handful of marbles law enforcement would rather play with, they'll drop those pending drug charges. And in an era of federal mandatory minimums that work like dispassionate Pez Dispensers handing out tart, 10- year prison bids for such crimes as, say, thinking about dealing America's most commonly used illicit drug, marijuana ( a decade for planning, not selling ), getting a suspect to "flip" on someone else can be a process smoother than photosynthesis. So what's with Jason Weaver - father, husband, and until recently, restaurateur and hydroponics supplier praised in the local daily and the Current for taking soil-free gardening beyond the realm of toker technology? Couldn't he save himself, and tell on you? The longboarder who affixed his surf moniker to his year-old coffee bar and deli would not own Big Kahuna's on Ashby and North Flores after today. The equipment from Jason "Big Kahuna" Weaver's other business, Casa Verde Garden Supply and Hydroponics, also housed in the 4,000-square-foot-building on Ashby, would be dismantled and shipped to Del Rio, and on to indoor farmers in Guatemala and Honduras. It was Thursday, August 10, less than two months before Weaver, 31, would report to a federal prison ( actually, a tent compound in Beaumont, Texas, surrounded by barbed wire ) and begin a three-year sentence for conspiracy to grow and sell marijuana. Weaver spent most of the morning patching up the building painted in bright green sativas and dark-green indicas, spotted with Tiki gods drawn in a style that's part Marvin the Martian, part Polynesian pop. Inside, soul-surfer beach and fishing trip ephemera, and a 2006 Richard De La O painting of a white-winged figure slaying a green demon ( the artist said it was Weaver vs. the DEA ). In the kitchen, Weaver made pepperoni pizza subs and assured the man in the white plastic lei, Jesse Gonzales, that he would make a phone call and get him another job prepping and cooking. And Weaver sat across from the Current, using Murphy's Oil Soap to scrub foaming caulk from his fingers, sharing what was on his mind on this last day. He came off sounding a little bit like the doomed and insightful old guy in Tuesdays with Morrie. "I go away on September 29," he said. "I'm not looking forward to it, but I'm sure I'm going to learn from it. "My saying is, 'Enjoy life, because you don't know what's coming from one day to the next.' When I wake up in the morning I thank my god, because everyone's god is different." Weaver riffed on about life lessons, about his new ankle tattoo, something he can carry into prison to remind him of his 9-month-old daughter ( a sea turtle ) and 6-year-old son ( a squid ). And then he added, with some bitterness: "And I would say that you can't control people." That last bit of wisdom was rooted in his experience with the childhood friend who helped manage the garden-supply shop Weaver and his wife, Tracee Wilkerson, started online in 1999, shepherded to a half-million dollar business by 2002, relocated in 2003 to a Fredericksburg address, and into the Ashby building in 2004. Somewhere during the course of events, Weaver said, his friend flipped. Weaver told the Current that said friend signed an affidavit incriminating him and, in exchange, received four years probation. This could not be confirmed. The U.S. Attorney's officials who handled Weaver's case are on vacation, but Weaver's attorneys assured the Current that all information related to flipping is confidential; that no representative of the legal process could divulge anything about whether or not the government offered a deal. If it's not in the plea agreement, a matter of public record, it's secret. Let's be absolutely clear: The government had incriminating evidence against Weaver. He says he was an unapologetic pot-smoker ( as are one in seven Americans, according to the marijuana-policy watchdogs at NORML ). Now subject to drug screenings as a condition of his $100,000 bond, his green-blue eyes look into the middle distance as he fondly recalls kayaking in Port Aransas and lighting up a bowl with just a magnifying glass ( because matches would get damp ). Weaver is represented by one of the nation's best drug-defense gurus, San Antonio lawyer Gerald Goldstein. Goldstein helped clear Hunter S. Thompson of multiple charges stemming from an illegal Colorado raid that turned up four sticks of dynamite and the usual Fear and Loathing suspects: cocaine, LSD, marijuana. Records show the investigation into Weaver and four associates ( including his alleged informer friend ) took place between January 2003 and the end of March 2005. Hundreds of marijuana plants were seized on Weaver's properties in West Rockport and his hometown Floresville ( and on the property of associates locally ). By April 2005, Weaver was arrested, and entered a plea agreement rather than face trial and be subject to a mandatory minimum 10 years for conspiring to grow up to 1,400 marijuana plants with the intent to distribute. He was sentenced in May 2006, and waived his right to appeal. But it was during the course of the investigation, Weaver said, that he had the option of going free, when the regional narcotics task force would camp across the street at San Pedro Springs Park, then show up with a yearbook filled with photos of 300 dirtless gardeners who came from as far as Buda, San Marcos, and Corpus Christi to buy indoor-lighting systems, hydroponic systems, and organic nutrients - instruments used by NASA, 4-H clubs, orchid societies, schools, and marijuana growers. "They told me from the very beginning, 'Give us three and we'll set you free, buddy,'" Weaver says. "I may be stupid or arrogant, but I said it's got to stop right here. This is going to ruin someone else's life." He says he burned customer records and played dumb. Drug agents routinely rely on compromised informers to investigate homegrown marijuana cases for two reasons, according to National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws Executive Director, Allen St. Pierre. ( 1 ) Pre-1980, the majority of marijuana came from outside the U.S. ( read: South Asia, Central America, Canada, Mexico, and Jamaica ). "The domestic product, it was like someone lit up hair in a room," St. Pierre, 41, said, slandering our American weed forebears, at least the ones cultivating in Amherst, Massachusetts, in the '60s and '70s. And as the government worked to eradicate international shipments and stomped on outdoor year-round grow operations in sunny Florida, South Texas, Arizona, Hawaii, and the infamous green triangle in Humboldt, California, a new DIY generation of home brewers took root. Magazines like High Times and Sinsemilla Tips taught them how to harness a technology used in the age of the Roman Caesars and set up thousand-dollar grow systems in their closets. Today, drug-enforcement officials say indoor-growing operations produce a more potent drug than their two popular pot-producing rivals, Mexico and British Columbia. ( 2 ) It wasn't long before law enforcement started flying down city grids with infrared scanning devices mounted on helicopters to see whose closet was thowing off heat, to detect the high-intensity lamps used for indoor-marijuana growth. In 2001, the Supreme Court said hoo-rodding around the skies looking for hot spots was an invasion of privacy, a warrantless search, and a Fourth-Amendment violation. Which sent our law-enforcement Icaruses back to the ground, sometimes digging through curbside garbage without a warrant, sometimes subpoenaing UPS shipping records from garden-supply stores, and, St. Pierre said, often asking someone to "give them three ... " Goldstein said folks have been sentenced in connection with the Big Kahuna's case, and more probably will be. "It's a never-ending spiral," the lawyer said. "As a consequence, people will do almost anything to avoid that punishment." So the question remains: Why, if he could, didn't the Big Kahuna hand over some bigger fish, spare his family ( he and his wife are in counseling ) and his business? "My wife, she said 'You're protecting friends and customers over your family,'" Weaver said. "She's been with me 12 years, and she's always scolded me, and there's been many times where she told me so, and not to trust people. I give everyone that opportunity and I say shame on you, not shame on me. "And this way," he adds, "I don't have to worry about someone plugging me or beating me with a bat or burning down my place." Big Kahuna restaurant will be closed for renovation through August, then reopen under new ownership.
ezdetox.com
ezdetox.com
Tina Stole My Boyfriend
TINA STOLE MY BOYFRIEND
I Just Want Him Back
Dear Dr Ren:
My boyfriend and I first tried crystal a few months back and we loved it. We danced all night and then came home and had hours of explosive sex.
I'm all for doing crystal once in a while, but my boyfriend can't stay away from it. He's using it all the time and it's changing everything. He stays up for days, is irritable and moody. It's getting to be a bit scary.
What should I do?
Tina's Ex-Friend
Dear Tina's Ex:
You got yourself into a whole mess of trouble in a few short months, didn't you? What for you was a fine new party drug is for your boyfriend turning into a nasty addiction. No wonder you are confused; your realities are so different now.
That's the thing about Tina--also called crystal, meth, speed, ice, glass, crank, tweak, or chalk--you just can't trust her.
It may be helpful to understand how crystal works in the body. At first it acts as an antidepressant. It floods the brain with three important neurotransmitters: serotonin, norepinephrine, and--most importantly--dopamine, the feel-good chemical. You become exuberantly awake, physically and emotionally. Your heart rate, pulse and breathing all increase. Your energy is boundless. You are Superman unleashed. Everything sparkles and shines. You feel optimistic, charismatic, uninhibited and powerful.
And the sex!
Crystal bolsters confidence, permits repressed desires, and supercharges your libido. It purges inhibitions and common sense. Sex with Tina is like trading in your tiny black and white television set for high-definition, wide-screen, plasmavision with surround sound.
This drug boasts a lengthy 9-12 hour half-life, is inexpensive and easy to score. You can drink it, snort it, inject it, swallow it in pill form, booty bump it ( pop it up your arse ), or hot rail it ( heat it in a glass bowl and inhale the vapours ).
With this drug on board, you feel invincible, desirable and sexy. And you can fuck for days. Must there be a downside?
Yes, boys, there must, and there is. One minor drawback is crystal dick, the inability of some men to get or keep an erection caused by the constriction of blood vessels in the penis. This, in turn, leads some to bottom uncharacteristically and sometimes unsafely.
The sex often becomes highly energetic and extended. Even if you use condoms, those long, hot sessions can compromise condom integrity. Some combine meth with Viagra to overcome the erection problem, only to risk far more serious cardiac arrhythmia.
While high, you forget to eat, sleep and drink. It's all so hard on your unsuspecting body.
Eventually you crash. Your brain, having used up its supply of dopamine, leads you into a deep depression. For as long as your luck holds out, your natural brain chemistry will slowly return. But the cruel joke about crystal meth is that no one knows who will become addicted, or when.
One day the key simply fits the lock. From then on, the brain is no longer able to recover. It sounds like that is what has happened in your case. You have escaped early dependence so far and your boyfriend hasn't.
Once addiction is established, the brain stops producing dopamine. It is now reliant on an external source, without which you experience profound chemically induced depression. It feels worse than dismal and you know precisely how to fix it: another hit of ice. With one hit, your hopeless, decolourized world can instantly return to Technicolor magic. It all seems logical. The hunger for the high is undeniable while the argument for abstinence unconvincing.
While your brain demands more crystal for its own reasons, the drug compromises your body's immune system. The more often you use Tina, the greater your chances of being infected with HIV.
Scary, eh?
The first thing you need to do, Tina's Ex, is protect yourself. Understand that your lover's judgment is badly impaired when he is tweaked or when he's crashing. Assume he is engaging in high-risk behaviours and refrain from unprotected sex with him. Get tested.
In his lucid moments, implore him to get help from a drug treatment program. He will not be able to manage this problem with willpower alone.
You will need support as well. Learn everything you can about what to expect. You will have to decide if this is a journey you wish to take. The scenery is not pleasant. Fortunately, you two first used only recently. That's good news, for the physiological as well as psychological effects of this poison are cumulative. The sooner you start, the easier it will be for you to get free.
Certainly this is a life-altering experience for you both. Nobody meant any harm. After years of stifling oppression and a horrific epidemic, the gay community was ready to embrace a drug that celebrated sex and good times. However, the potential cost of crystal meth is way too high. Once you are hers, Tina is a jealous mistress.
I wish you the best in reclaiming your boyfriend.
I Just Want Him Back
Dear Dr Ren:
My boyfriend and I first tried crystal a few months back and we loved it. We danced all night and then came home and had hours of explosive sex.
I'm all for doing crystal once in a while, but my boyfriend can't stay away from it. He's using it all the time and it's changing everything. He stays up for days, is irritable and moody. It's getting to be a bit scary.
What should I do?
Tina's Ex-Friend
Dear Tina's Ex:
You got yourself into a whole mess of trouble in a few short months, didn't you? What for you was a fine new party drug is for your boyfriend turning into a nasty addiction. No wonder you are confused; your realities are so different now.
That's the thing about Tina--also called crystal, meth, speed, ice, glass, crank, tweak, or chalk--you just can't trust her.
It may be helpful to understand how crystal works in the body. At first it acts as an antidepressant. It floods the brain with three important neurotransmitters: serotonin, norepinephrine, and--most importantly--dopamine, the feel-good chemical. You become exuberantly awake, physically and emotionally. Your heart rate, pulse and breathing all increase. Your energy is boundless. You are Superman unleashed. Everything sparkles and shines. You feel optimistic, charismatic, uninhibited and powerful.
And the sex!
Crystal bolsters confidence, permits repressed desires, and supercharges your libido. It purges inhibitions and common sense. Sex with Tina is like trading in your tiny black and white television set for high-definition, wide-screen, plasmavision with surround sound.
This drug boasts a lengthy 9-12 hour half-life, is inexpensive and easy to score. You can drink it, snort it, inject it, swallow it in pill form, booty bump it ( pop it up your arse ), or hot rail it ( heat it in a glass bowl and inhale the vapours ).
With this drug on board, you feel invincible, desirable and sexy. And you can fuck for days. Must there be a downside?
Yes, boys, there must, and there is. One minor drawback is crystal dick, the inability of some men to get or keep an erection caused by the constriction of blood vessels in the penis. This, in turn, leads some to bottom uncharacteristically and sometimes unsafely.
The sex often becomes highly energetic and extended. Even if you use condoms, those long, hot sessions can compromise condom integrity. Some combine meth with Viagra to overcome the erection problem, only to risk far more serious cardiac arrhythmia.
While high, you forget to eat, sleep and drink. It's all so hard on your unsuspecting body.
Eventually you crash. Your brain, having used up its supply of dopamine, leads you into a deep depression. For as long as your luck holds out, your natural brain chemistry will slowly return. But the cruel joke about crystal meth is that no one knows who will become addicted, or when.
One day the key simply fits the lock. From then on, the brain is no longer able to recover. It sounds like that is what has happened in your case. You have escaped early dependence so far and your boyfriend hasn't.
Once addiction is established, the brain stops producing dopamine. It is now reliant on an external source, without which you experience profound chemically induced depression. It feels worse than dismal and you know precisely how to fix it: another hit of ice. With one hit, your hopeless, decolourized world can instantly return to Technicolor magic. It all seems logical. The hunger for the high is undeniable while the argument for abstinence unconvincing.
While your brain demands more crystal for its own reasons, the drug compromises your body's immune system. The more often you use Tina, the greater your chances of being infected with HIV.
Scary, eh?
The first thing you need to do, Tina's Ex, is protect yourself. Understand that your lover's judgment is badly impaired when he is tweaked or when he's crashing. Assume he is engaging in high-risk behaviours and refrain from unprotected sex with him. Get tested.
In his lucid moments, implore him to get help from a drug treatment program. He will not be able to manage this problem with willpower alone.
You will need support as well. Learn everything you can about what to expect. You will have to decide if this is a journey you wish to take. The scenery is not pleasant. Fortunately, you two first used only recently. That's good news, for the physiological as well as psychological effects of this poison are cumulative. The sooner you start, the easier it will be for you to get free.
Certainly this is a life-altering experience for you both. Nobody meant any harm. After years of stifling oppression and a horrific epidemic, the gay community was ready to embrace a drug that celebrated sex and good times. However, the potential cost of crystal meth is way too high. Once you are hers, Tina is a jealous mistress.
I wish you the best in reclaiming your boyfriend.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Three Valley Schools On List Of Most Dangerous
THREE VALLEY SCHOOLS ON LIST OF MOST DANGEROUS McALLEN - Almost 5,000 Rio Grande Valley high schoolers will begin the new school year at campuses rated "persistently dangerous" by the state education agency. Jimmy Carter High School in the La Joya school district and Todd Ninth Grade campus and Donna High School in the Donna district received the "dangerous" designation this year from the Texas Education Association. The three campuses are among just five statewide to be rated as such. This is Todd's second year on the TEA list. The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires states to develop criteria that measure safety in schools. The law allows students at those campuses rated persistently dangerous to transfer. In Texas, a school receives the dangerous rating if, for three years running, it has reported expelling three or more students per 1,000 for any of the following: felony-level drug or alcohol offenses; possession or use of a firearm, club or weapons; murder or attempted murder, arson, aggravated kidnapping or assault; sexual assault or aggravated sexual assault. Donna and La Joya school district officials said their schools' ratings disappointed them but maintained they believe students at the three campuses are fundamentally safe. They also criticized the criteria involved in the rankings. The districts were unable to provide on short notice documents detailing the number and type of incidents reported to the state but said felony-level drug and alcohol violations accounted for the vast majority of reported offenses. Donna Superintendent Joe D. Gonzalez said the rating used outdated information -- the latest is from the '04-'05 school year -- that doesn't reflect the results of stepped-up security efforts. During the '05-'06 school year neither campus had more than two incidents that would qualify it as dangerous, he said. "It's an inherent problem with them because you're dealing with things that happened three, four years ago," he said. "But I've corrected all of that. I know that that's going to be history for Donna." La Joya school district police chief Raul Gonzalez called Carter High School's placement on the list largely a result of vigilance in monitoring campuses for drugs. Random drug dog searches and placing three police officers and five security officers at Carter has resulted in a high number of arrests, Gonzalez said. But, viewed in a more positive light, the arrests can be seen as inhibiting other crimes associated with drug use, he said. The district reported no other incidents such as aggravated assault, he said. "We haven't been designated as a dangerous or a persistently dangerous school because of guns and knives and violence. It's because of the drugs," Gonzalez said. "The staff was a little disappointed," he added. "They saw it as a double-edged sword. You're doing your job, you're trying to keep your school clean from drugs and at the same time you're being punished" with the rating. La Joya's two other high schools did not receive the rating. Gonzalez, whom the district designated as its spokesman on the issue, said La Joya must now develop examine how and why Carter had more felony-level drug arrests than Juarez-Lincoln High School or the senior high school. The district also plans to step up anti-drug education campaigns at the middle and elementary school level, he said. Carter High School Principal Mary Ann Contreras declined to comment. Statewide, the two other schools that received the dangerous designation included a high school in the Cypress-Fairbanks district outside Houston and one in the United school district in Laredo.
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Flip-Flop On The Rules Creates Flop Houses
FLIP-FLOP ON THE RULES CREATES FLOP HOUSES
Fifty-four-year-old Richard Griffin, who has seen his share of hard times, is hoping his two daughters won't suffer through decades of addiction like he has.
"I started ( abusing drugs ) at the age of 15 and have used drugs of one kind or another until 17 months ago when I left the streets of Whalley and went into a recovery house. Since then I have been clean," Griffin says.
A year and a half of sobriety on the heels of 40 years of substance abuse is no small feat.
Good for Griffin.
One of his daughters also lived in the same recovery home as Griffin. She has now been clean a year and lives on her own.
Griffin says his other daughter is not doing as well.
"She is still on the street fighting a heroin addiction. I would like to see her have the same chance that her sister and myself have had," Griffin says.
As the hot potato of addiction treatment is passed between Surrey and Victoria, however, Griffin's dream grows dimmer.
Surrey is once again getting tough on alcohol and drug recovery homes, requiring such premises to meet proper zoning and licensing requirements or be shut down.
The issue, which has been dogging council and the community since the late 1990s, has arisen anew following public complaints about three North Surrey recovery homes near 101 Avenue and 133 Street known collectively as Cornerstone Manor.
Cornerstone has been given until Aug. 15 to rezone or close its doors. The operator of the recovery home says clients are already leaving the home because of its uncertain future.
That this uncertainty has been allowed to continue for years, as the provincial government waffles over the topic of addiction treatment, is shameful.
In 1998, in an attempt to remedy the problem of unscrupulous recovery home owners providing shoddy care to clients, Surrey created a bylaw that would have such homes meet provincial standards, such as having adequate sprinkler systems, nutrition plans and trained staff.
However, when costs and bureaucracy of administering the Community Care Facility Act became too onerous, the B.C. government abandoned the program in 2002, leaving recovery homes unregulated once more.
Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts says the result is there are now at least 50 unlicensed recovery homes operating in this city, many of them amounting to nothing more than "flop-houses."
"We hear of 35 to 40 people crammed into a house, sleeping on the floor and couches," Watts says.
Certainly there are homes providing good care. But with no provincial regulations in place, those already vulnerable - people battling alcoholism or drug addiction - are left to roll the dice.
Now there is word the health ministry is reviewing its recovery home regulation process.
Fine, but alcohol and drug recovery homes are just one component of an addiction treatment plan that should include detox centres, counselling, life-skills programs and low-income housing. Until a full spectrum of care is in place, clamping down on the grassroots movement that aims to help addicts only funnels more desperate people onto the streets.
Surrey is aiming to catch the ear of the province. Let's hope somebody is listening.
Victoria needs to stop passing the buck to municipalities in regards to addiction treatment -a health issue - and pony up the dough to properly run and staff facilities.
Otherwise, families like the Griffins don't stand a chance.
Fifty-four-year-old Richard Griffin, who has seen his share of hard times, is hoping his two daughters won't suffer through decades of addiction like he has.
"I started ( abusing drugs ) at the age of 15 and have used drugs of one kind or another until 17 months ago when I left the streets of Whalley and went into a recovery house. Since then I have been clean," Griffin says.
A year and a half of sobriety on the heels of 40 years of substance abuse is no small feat.
Good for Griffin.
One of his daughters also lived in the same recovery home as Griffin. She has now been clean a year and lives on her own.
Griffin says his other daughter is not doing as well.
"She is still on the street fighting a heroin addiction. I would like to see her have the same chance that her sister and myself have had," Griffin says.
As the hot potato of addiction treatment is passed between Surrey and Victoria, however, Griffin's dream grows dimmer.
Surrey is once again getting tough on alcohol and drug recovery homes, requiring such premises to meet proper zoning and licensing requirements or be shut down.
The issue, which has been dogging council and the community since the late 1990s, has arisen anew following public complaints about three North Surrey recovery homes near 101 Avenue and 133 Street known collectively as Cornerstone Manor.
Cornerstone has been given until Aug. 15 to rezone or close its doors. The operator of the recovery home says clients are already leaving the home because of its uncertain future.
That this uncertainty has been allowed to continue for years, as the provincial government waffles over the topic of addiction treatment, is shameful.
In 1998, in an attempt to remedy the problem of unscrupulous recovery home owners providing shoddy care to clients, Surrey created a bylaw that would have such homes meet provincial standards, such as having adequate sprinkler systems, nutrition plans and trained staff.
However, when costs and bureaucracy of administering the Community Care Facility Act became too onerous, the B.C. government abandoned the program in 2002, leaving recovery homes unregulated once more.
Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts says the result is there are now at least 50 unlicensed recovery homes operating in this city, many of them amounting to nothing more than "flop-houses."
"We hear of 35 to 40 people crammed into a house, sleeping on the floor and couches," Watts says.
Certainly there are homes providing good care. But with no provincial regulations in place, those already vulnerable - people battling alcoholism or drug addiction - are left to roll the dice.
Now there is word the health ministry is reviewing its recovery home regulation process.
Fine, but alcohol and drug recovery homes are just one component of an addiction treatment plan that should include detox centres, counselling, life-skills programs and low-income housing. Until a full spectrum of care is in place, clamping down on the grassroots movement that aims to help addicts only funnels more desperate people onto the streets.
Surrey is aiming to catch the ear of the province. Let's hope somebody is listening.
Victoria needs to stop passing the buck to municipalities in regards to addiction treatment -a health issue - and pony up the dough to properly run and staff facilities.
Otherwise, families like the Griffins don't stand a chance.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Medicinal Marijuana Group Asks for County's Support
MEDICINAL MARIJUANA GROUP ASKS FOR COUNTY'S SUPPORT Linda Jimenez is hopeful that next month Solano County leaders will understand that she and fellow medical marijuana supporters are trying only to relieve chronic pain. The 36-year-old Fairfield resident said she has a painful joint disorder originating in her jaw that causes headaches and depression. Her marijuana use is physician-advised. For several months, as a member of the Solano Patients' Group, a medical marijuana advocacy organization, Jimenez and other group members have lobbied county leaders to institute a voter-approved state patient card program. It's been 10 years since state voters approved medicinal marijuana use but Solano County leaders so far have balked at implementing a required patient card program. The patient card program would track who is legally prescribed by a physician to get medical marijuana. There's no clear indication the Solano County Board of Supervisors will move ahead with the card program when board members tentatively are set to consider the issue Sept. 26. "I'm glad I don't have to vote today," said Supervisor Duane Kromm, District 3-Fairfield. "I'm not sure how I would vote." Kromm said he has a number of concerns, including a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court decision. In June 2005, the court reversed a lower court decision that federal prosecution of patients who cultivate and possess marijuana for their own use is unconstitutional. That shouldn't factor into the issue, Jimenez says. The county is supposed to uphold state law, and state law calls for administering a medicinal marijuana patient card program, Jimenez and fellow supporters say. Supervisor Barbara Kondylis, District 1-Vallejo said that is what she wants done as well. Kondylis said the county's only role is to administer the program that voters approved a decade ago. "Frankly, I don't know why we don't issue ( the card program ) through the DMV," Kondylis said. Supervisor John Silva, District 2-Benicia, said he has a different take on the issue. His past profession as a police officer makes him less inclined to support medicinal marijuana, Silva said. "I made my living enforcing these ( drug ) laws at one time; I'm not easily going to change my mind," Silva said. Typically, patients use marijuana to treat AIDS, cancer, and other painful or life threatening conditions, Jimenez said. But not all Solano Patients' Group's members reveal what ailments they have, she said.
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Before The MAST
BEFORE THE MAST This will be a busy week for 20,000 children going back to school in Moore. One class will fill a little more slowly -- but surely. The Moore Alternative School and Treatment ( MAST ) program is for Moore teenagers experiencing problems with drug and alcohol abuse. MAST provides education and counseling services to get kids back on the right track in school and in life. The program is an outgrowth of Moore Youth & Family Services, Inc. and the Moore Alcohol & Drug Center, Inc., both operating from a building on Northwest 5th Street. Problems prevalent "We start out pretty slow, but our classes soon pick up when kids turn up in drug busts, under the influence in school or get suspended for dealing," says Lisa Williams. The program's two classrooms can accommodate 16 students, all closely watched, counseled and tutored for a minimum of nine weeks. Alcohol and drug problems are prevalent in the schools says Williams, clinical director of the nonprofit juvenile treatment program. Youth suspended from school or at risk of being suspended are prime candidates for the MAST program. The only "prerequisite": desire to change. Schoolkids ages 13 to 17 must have a substance abuse problem and be willing to work on it. "There are other alternative schools but ours has the only treatment program," Williams said. "Our emphasis is on cognitive therapy and behavior modification. Academics comes second." MAST was established in Moore in 1975, well before other state funded alternative education programs were initiated in the '90s, Williams said. The MAST program is funded by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, the Office of Juvenile Affairs and the United Way. In recent years, MAST resources have been stretched thin by state budget cuts. Substance abuse grows Many Moore public school students are unaware of the MAST program, Williams said. She said she coordinates with school principals and counselors to inform parents and students of the service. Williams said drug abuse in the schools has widened in scope to include both illicit drugs and prescription medicine. "What I've seen the most is problems with methamphetamine, Valium and pain drugs like Oxycontin and Lortabs. Sometimes it's real easy to get drugs over the Internet... but alcohol is still the most abused substance." Getting into the MAST program begins and ends with a phone call. "A parent or kid can call and say they're interested," Williams said. Young candidates answer a few questions over the phone and then undergo an hour-long face-to-face assessment involving family background, substance abuse problems and medical and educational history. "Every kid admitted to the program signs a contract" involving respect for others, behavior standards in class and abstinence from drugs and alcohol, Williams said. "Then we set up individual and family goals. "A kid is given a day to think about it, then calls with a decision." Family often problem What follows is a minimum of nine weeks of classroom instruction, individual and group counseling, conferences with parents and, less frequently, family counseling. "Our biggest problem is getting the family engaged in the treatment," Williams said. "Most of the time, our students have a family history of substance abuse. These are very bright kids, for the most part. A majority of them have had a lot of hardships. We're talking about kids who have had a whole lot stacked against them, especially it they're involved in the court system." Typically, students complete an average of two semesters with MAST, learning to stay focused on schoolwork. They are taught by a certified teacher aided by three other MAST staff. "If they finish one assignment, they go on to the next," Williams said. "They're watched constantly and supervised closely." The scrutiny includes random urinalysis for drugs. Lessons from mistakes Williams said 94 percent of MAST students successfully complete the program and 96 percent remain drug-free. There have been slip-ups in the program's long history, but only two of them have involved drugs, she said. "Years ago, a policeman with a drug dog came in to do a demonstration for the class," Williams said. "The dog made a drug hit on one young man [in the class]." The officer was outside his jurisdiction, so Moore police were called." "The kid waited in our office for the police to come. He sat there crying. The officer and the Moore police were very supportive. They understood the kid was not a criminal. He went into a residential treatment program." Later, Williams said, "the young man came back to visit us. He had finished school and started working. To me, he was a real success." Among other success stories, a 16-year-old girl who had failed the ninth grade three times and "had no family support" received her GED through MAST went on to manage a grocery store and receive a college degree in criminal justice, Williams said. And a boy involved in gangs and drugs and on probation became the only one in his family to finish school. "His mother had been murdered and his dad and brothers were in prison. For the past six years he's been a foreman for a roofing company." MAST not for everyone Williams admits some students find it impossible to continue with the program. "These kids are used to failing and being kicked out," she said. "We open the door for them and help them find another place. We're tough, but fair. We want them to succeed." Others choose to complete their entire high school education in MAST, Williams said. "Some kids get their GEDs. If you're 17 and in the ninth grade, it's unrealistic to think of graduating from high school." Williams has been with the MAST program for 26 years, but does not hold the seniority record. Walt Hedrick, the director, has been with the program since its beginnings over 30 years ago. When she began with the program, Williams said, "We had a place on First Street. It looked like a barn. It was a barn." The agencies moved to the present location in 1990. Williams has a master's degree from the University of Oklahoma School of Social Work and is a licensed marriage and family therapist. She is working toward state licensure as an alcohol and drug counselor, a new state certification. "To get a state license requires a minimum of eight years," she said. Funding sources shrink The MAST center has a staff of about 25, with several serving the program for 20 years or more. Most of the staff are either licensed or under state supervision for licensure in social work, marriage and family therapy and alcohol and drug counseling. There also are five college interns from OU, OSU and Southern Methodist University. MAST has been struggling through a series of budget cuts and funding freezes, Williams said. "The department of mental health and substance abuse cut $10,000 from our budget this year. Despite rising costs, we've had no increase from the Office of Juvenile Affairs for 10 years. For the past three years, we've had a freeze on staff cost of living raises…Because of the cuts, we have no formal follow-up after the kids leave the program. "Mental health is not highly valued in this state." Still, the MAST program continues to equip youth with the skills to handle life. "These kids are survivors," Williams said. They have to be ready to make changes. That takes courage and guts. "If they stay alive, out of the prison system and are productive, to me that's success."
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The War Against Religious Free Speech
THE WAR AGAINST RELIGIOUS FREE SPEECH
There is a war raging in America, and it may be the most important war we will fight in the coming years. But it's not a war against terrorism, drugs or AIDS. It's a war against free speech, primarily religious free speech.
Let me give you some examples. The microphone was unplugged by school officials when a high school valedictorian began talking about Jesus Christ. An instrumental version of "Ave Maria" was eliminated by school officials because it might be religious. A city councilman was told that he cannot end his prayers in Jesus' name, while other council members can pray as they see fit. These are all examples of individuals who were simply expressing their First Amendment right to free speech -- religious free speech. Until recent years, this was protected speech. But things seem to be going from bad to worse. A recent court decision dismissing the case of a rock band that was discriminated against because of its members' religious beliefs highlights the problem.
Officials at Rossford High School in Ohio asked Pawn, a rock group that included several students attending the school, to perform at a school-sponsored anti-drug assembly that was scheduled for December 21, 2004. Pawn performs original compositions written by its band members, all of whom are Christians. The band attempts to convey positive messages through its music about the use of drugs, alcohol and sexual promiscuity. Pawn agreed to perform at the assembly and to present messages to the students between songs. Pawn also agreed that its statements between songs would not be religious and would be limited to the "Just Say No" anti-drug, anti-alcohol message of the assembly. Attendance at the assembly was to be purely voluntary, with all students given the option of attending Pawn's performance, study hall or a movie.
Both the school and Pawn began making immediate preparations for the assembly. Pawn's performance was announced to students, and posters were printed to promote the event. However, a week before the assembly, school officials rescinded their invitation to Pawn because of the religious content of the group's songs.
Obviously, this is a classic case of discrimination against a group of people because of who they are and what they might say. It's what some courts have called viewpoint discrimination, and it's an important ingredient of free speech. And it's a perfect example of how far government officials are willing to go to avoid any association with religious individuals, ideas or speech. And specifically, free speech by Christians.
A lawsuit followed in which all these key First Amendment principles were argued. And just last week, Federal District Court Judge Jack Zouhary ruled that Pawn had no protected right to free speech. The court adopted a "government speech" analysis as the basis of its decision. This doctrine, which is now being used more frequently by the courts, holds that if speech occurs on government property, it is not protected by the First Amendment. As Judge Zouhary wrote in his opinion: "This is not a case about the state discriminating against speech and religion, but rather about the state having control over who speaks on its behalf."
There is a very real danger in this type of thinking. The places where people are allowed to exercise their free speech in America are gradually being eliminated. City squares are disappearing, replaced by parking lots. Corporations are buying up entire towns and turning them into private property. And the government is expanding at a rapid rate. Thus, as the government speech concept widens to encompass more and more, speech occurring on public property can and will be barred by government officials. Thus, free speech as we have known it will die away.
History teaches us some valuable lessons. Every society that grows more authoritarian eliminates free speech. It is free speech that tyrants fear most for there is nothing more dangerous than ideas that reach fertile minds. Moreover, it must not be forgotten that often a citizenry willingly forfeits essential rights for security. We have seen this in the U.S. in light of the post-9/11 paranoia.
But there is another way that citizens forfeit their rights: It happens when they have little to no clue about what those rights are. Recent polls and surveys indicate that average Americans have little knowledge of their rights as laid out in the United States Constitution. Thus, it is very easy for the government to ride roughshod over our basic freedoms.
Eliminating free speech and other rights is an incremental process, which begins gradually. Today the target, especially in public schools, seems to be Christians.
We still have time to act. And we must act because free speech is the basis of democracy. Without it, the future looks grim.
There is a war raging in America, and it may be the most important war we will fight in the coming years. But it's not a war against terrorism, drugs or AIDS. It's a war against free speech, primarily religious free speech.
Let me give you some examples. The microphone was unplugged by school officials when a high school valedictorian began talking about Jesus Christ. An instrumental version of "Ave Maria" was eliminated by school officials because it might be religious. A city councilman was told that he cannot end his prayers in Jesus' name, while other council members can pray as they see fit. These are all examples of individuals who were simply expressing their First Amendment right to free speech -- religious free speech. Until recent years, this was protected speech. But things seem to be going from bad to worse. A recent court decision dismissing the case of a rock band that was discriminated against because of its members' religious beliefs highlights the problem.
Officials at Rossford High School in Ohio asked Pawn, a rock group that included several students attending the school, to perform at a school-sponsored anti-drug assembly that was scheduled for December 21, 2004. Pawn performs original compositions written by its band members, all of whom are Christians. The band attempts to convey positive messages through its music about the use of drugs, alcohol and sexual promiscuity. Pawn agreed to perform at the assembly and to present messages to the students between songs. Pawn also agreed that its statements between songs would not be religious and would be limited to the "Just Say No" anti-drug, anti-alcohol message of the assembly. Attendance at the assembly was to be purely voluntary, with all students given the option of attending Pawn's performance, study hall or a movie.
Both the school and Pawn began making immediate preparations for the assembly. Pawn's performance was announced to students, and posters were printed to promote the event. However, a week before the assembly, school officials rescinded their invitation to Pawn because of the religious content of the group's songs.
Obviously, this is a classic case of discrimination against a group of people because of who they are and what they might say. It's what some courts have called viewpoint discrimination, and it's an important ingredient of free speech. And it's a perfect example of how far government officials are willing to go to avoid any association with religious individuals, ideas or speech. And specifically, free speech by Christians.
A lawsuit followed in which all these key First Amendment principles were argued. And just last week, Federal District Court Judge Jack Zouhary ruled that Pawn had no protected right to free speech. The court adopted a "government speech" analysis as the basis of its decision. This doctrine, which is now being used more frequently by the courts, holds that if speech occurs on government property, it is not protected by the First Amendment. As Judge Zouhary wrote in his opinion: "This is not a case about the state discriminating against speech and religion, but rather about the state having control over who speaks on its behalf."
There is a very real danger in this type of thinking. The places where people are allowed to exercise their free speech in America are gradually being eliminated. City squares are disappearing, replaced by parking lots. Corporations are buying up entire towns and turning them into private property. And the government is expanding at a rapid rate. Thus, as the government speech concept widens to encompass more and more, speech occurring on public property can and will be barred by government officials. Thus, free speech as we have known it will die away.
History teaches us some valuable lessons. Every society that grows more authoritarian eliminates free speech. It is free speech that tyrants fear most for there is nothing more dangerous than ideas that reach fertile minds. Moreover, it must not be forgotten that often a citizenry willingly forfeits essential rights for security. We have seen this in the U.S. in light of the post-9/11 paranoia.
But there is another way that citizens forfeit their rights: It happens when they have little to no clue about what those rights are. Recent polls and surveys indicate that average Americans have little knowledge of their rights as laid out in the United States Constitution. Thus, it is very easy for the government to ride roughshod over our basic freedoms.
Eliminating free speech and other rights is an incremental process, which begins gradually. Today the target, especially in public schools, seems to be Christians.
We still have time to act. And we must act because free speech is the basis of democracy. Without it, the future looks grim.
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Needle Exchange Program Returns to City of San Diego
Treating Addiction, Saving Lives NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAM RETURNS TO CITY OF SAN DIEGO Sex and drugs may be the byproducts of a life of rock 'n' roll, but in San Diego, using narcotics is high-risk activity that injection drug users participate in. To decrease the harms of drug use, such as HIV transmission, the privately funded needle exchange program in San Diego - one of 150 such exchanges in the country - was reinstated on July 11 after a year's hiatus. Those working for the program are telling injection drug users and others who use their programs, like diabetics and steroid users, that having sex or doing drugs that involve sharing needles and syringes increase the likelihood of contracting HIV or Hepatitis C. The exchange, run by Family Health Centers of San Diego, provides a way for IDUs, diabetics and steroid users to safely inject their respective drugs, legal or illegal. Clients can bring in their used needles and syringes to the program's recreation vehicle twice a week - - downtown on Thursdays and in North Park on Fridays - during a three hour period each day. Clients exchange the dirty needles for clean ones at a one-to-one exchange rate and also receive free counseling to encourage rehabilitation. The clients have to count the needles out while a worker watches. He or she will then hand them their new needles, while the old needles are incinerated within days, according to the FHCSD. "It's better than throwing needles on the streets," said Adrian Kwiatkowski, Monger Company employee and liaison between the city and Alliance Health Care Foundation ( the funding providers for the program ). "You could be walking along the beach and step on a needle and catch ( diseases ) that way. "Hepatitis C can live in a needle and syringe for up to 10 hours, HIV lasts for about one hour." The program's ultimate goals include lowering the transmission rates of HIV and Hepatitis C through shared needles, as well as educating addicts so that they will want to seek rehabilitation, Kwiatkowski said. The age range of clients is from 18 to 86 years old, he said. "I know college-aged kids come to the exchange, and it's possible they could be IDUs too," Kwiatkowski said. San Diego State Alcohol and Other Drug Initiatives educator Sue Henry said for students to limit their risk of catching HIV and other diseases, they should limit their number of sex partners, use condoms, only drink alcohol in moderation and not use drugs, as these impair judgment or may create pathways to becoming an IDU. "About 25 to 35 percent of SDSU students abuse alcohol by binge drinking, putting themselves at risk" Henry said. The exchange has been in San Diego since July of 2002; however, on July 18, 2005, the program did not receive approval from the City Council of San Diego after it lost two members, Michael Zucchet and Ralph Inzunza, who always voted in favor of the exchange. The exchange didn't receive support again until Mayor Jerry Sanders and new city council members Kevin Faulconer and Ben Hueso all voted in favor of the reinstatement of the program. State law has recently changed its requirements for hosting needle exchange programs in California. Each city or county hosting a program used to need to declare a state of emergency every few weeks. Now the law gives the cities and counties more control over their programs; they only have to declare a state of emergency once and the program will end if or when the city decides to revoke it, Kwiatkowski said. Though the ease of keeping the program delighted many, not all San Diegans are behind the program, some find it counterproductive. "Jerry Sanders is certainly someone who has dealt with a lot of issues as police chief," said Damon Mosler, deputy district attorney for the Narcotics Unit of San Diego County. "I'll be dubiously optimistic. I just don't see it as a positive. "I'm just not certain that the concept is a good concept by accepting the drug use." Kwiatkowski argues that programs like this have been tried in other states, cities and counties in California and their studies indicate that over a period of five to 10 years, the percentages of drug use, the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C decreased. The San Diego exchange has collected more needles than it's taken in since 2002, which may be evidence that the program is working. "Our clientele dropped off by 95 percent last year ( when the program lost support )" he added. No one wanted to get counseling when they weren't getting clean needles in return, Kwiatkowski said. Mosler worries that when there are clean needles given to addicts, they will just share them anyway or the program will just encourage them to keep using. "I think it's good to get counselors out there, if it can be shown that some people turn the corner because of it, even if it's just a handful, then it's probably worth it," Mosler said. "But just the concept of saying, 'If you're gonna do drugs then do it safely' doesn't seem like a good idea to me." The FHCSD hopes to set up exchanges in more areas in San Diego that have a large need for an exchange program, Kwiatkowski said. Specific areas of interest include Ocean Beach and City Heights, an area in close proximity to SDSU.
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Grant Decline Cuts Projects
GRANT DECLINE CUTS PROJECTS
Tulsa Police Forced to Reassess Priorities
Federal grants to the Tulsa Police Department are drying up, forcing cuts to special projects including those that pay overtime costs for monitoring sex offenders and for meth-lab cleanups.
Since 2002 -- the earliest year for which records could be located -- grants to Tulsa police from the U.S. Department of Justice have fallen from about $952,000 to about $373,000 in 2006, said Cpl. Art Surratt, the Police Department's grants coordinator.
The grants, now called Justice Assistance Block Grants, totaled as much as $3 million one year, Chief Dave Been said.
The drop has forced the department to take hard looks at the special programs that are funded by the grants, some of which put more officers in crime-plagued areas of the city.
The decline is specific to the Bush administration, Been said.
"I'm not sure I disagree" with the philosophy of cutting federal grants, Been said. "As a local municipal police department, we need to find a way to finance our own needs. It shouldn't be up to the federal government to do that."
Since Sept. 11, 2001, the International Association of Chiefs of Police reports that the Bush administration has cut about $2.3 billion that had been going to law enforcement, including proposed 2007 budget cuts to the Justice Assistance Block Grants.
Been said the Police Department will have to live within its allocations. He pointed out that the department continues to be understaffed and won't be gaining any positions for additional officers this year.
Pending approval by the City Council, the department has about $554,000 in recently received 2005 grants that are devoted to a list of programs, Surratt said.
The money will pay for items that include more "stop sticks" that deflate tires on cars that are being pursued, Global Positioning Satellite technology for drug interdictions, a data-archiving system and evidence-storage improvements.
The approximately $373,000 from 2006 grants is not yet available, Surratt said. Grants from 2003 paid the department about $815,000, and the following year's grants brought about $334,000.
Faced with decreasing grant funds, department officials had to decide which programs were the most needed and make changes accordingly, Been said.
One grant has been used to pay for overtime hours generated while officers check to see whether sex offenders are living where they say they do, Surratt said.
The sex-offender registration program could see cutbacks at a time of high public and political concern about where such offenders live, but officials are looking at ways to do the job more effectively.
Sgt. John Adams, who supervises the department's sex-offender registration program, said his unit has been giving on-duty patrol officers lists of sex offenders' addresses to check when they have the time. That results in about 15 to 20 hours of work a week but without overtime costs, he said.
Tulsa has 478 registered sex-offenders, and "we are really behind on our efforts," Adams said.
Been said the department is looking at several proposals to compensate for the grant cutback.
One of those options is letting reserve police officers, who are volunteers, check sex offenders' reported addresses, Adams said.
Another program funded by grants pays officers' overtime for cleaning up methamphetamine labs and also pays for such items as officers' protective clothing and respirators.
A $250,000 grant that expires at the end of August has paid for expenses associated with helping children recover after living in homes used as meth labs. The city is not renewing that Community Oriented Policing Services grant, Surratt said.
Anticipating cutbacks to the meth-lab cleanup grant, narcotics investigators will use their money to replace equipment before the grant expires, said Sgt. Harold Adair, a supervisor with the department's Special Investigations Division.
Meth labs are cleaned by a team of officers who are on call and paid overtime for their work.
Recent state legislation regulating the sale of a primary ingredient of the drug has dropped the number of labs seized by about 75 percent, and the teams now average about four to five labs a month, Adair said.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration estimates that the average cost of cleaning up a lab has fallen to between $2,000 and $3,000, the Office of National Drug Control Policy's Web site said.
Two programs that put more officers on the streets in specific areas of the city have been added to the overtime-grant package.
The grant pays overtime costs for officers and supervisors working the patrols. It has also been used to buy equipment such as barricades, traffic cones and a trailer to transport equipment.
One area of the North Peoria Enhanced Security Grant's focus has been violent crime sites, including murders, over the years. Police began heavily patrolling the 5000 block of North Peoria Avenue after a man fired shots into a crowd there July 7, 2002. That man, Aundra Maurice Talton, opened fire in a parking lot and wounded two people. He also shot at police, who returned fire and killed him.
Another fatal shooting took place there early Oct. 3, 2004, when James Alan Brown Jr., 38, was killed.
The 21st Street and Garnett Road Security grant is similar to its counterpart on Peoria, Surratt said.
The extra patrols were in response to violent crimes, including shootings, in the area, Surratt said. "We have officers there to kind of keep the peace," he said.
Tulsa Police Forced to Reassess Priorities
Federal grants to the Tulsa Police Department are drying up, forcing cuts to special projects including those that pay overtime costs for monitoring sex offenders and for meth-lab cleanups.
Since 2002 -- the earliest year for which records could be located -- grants to Tulsa police from the U.S. Department of Justice have fallen from about $952,000 to about $373,000 in 2006, said Cpl. Art Surratt, the Police Department's grants coordinator.
The grants, now called Justice Assistance Block Grants, totaled as much as $3 million one year, Chief Dave Been said.
The drop has forced the department to take hard looks at the special programs that are funded by the grants, some of which put more officers in crime-plagued areas of the city.
The decline is specific to the Bush administration, Been said.
"I'm not sure I disagree" with the philosophy of cutting federal grants, Been said. "As a local municipal police department, we need to find a way to finance our own needs. It shouldn't be up to the federal government to do that."
Since Sept. 11, 2001, the International Association of Chiefs of Police reports that the Bush administration has cut about $2.3 billion that had been going to law enforcement, including proposed 2007 budget cuts to the Justice Assistance Block Grants.
Been said the Police Department will have to live within its allocations. He pointed out that the department continues to be understaffed and won't be gaining any positions for additional officers this year.
Pending approval by the City Council, the department has about $554,000 in recently received 2005 grants that are devoted to a list of programs, Surratt said.
The money will pay for items that include more "stop sticks" that deflate tires on cars that are being pursued, Global Positioning Satellite technology for drug interdictions, a data-archiving system and evidence-storage improvements.
The approximately $373,000 from 2006 grants is not yet available, Surratt said. Grants from 2003 paid the department about $815,000, and the following year's grants brought about $334,000.
Faced with decreasing grant funds, department officials had to decide which programs were the most needed and make changes accordingly, Been said.
One grant has been used to pay for overtime hours generated while officers check to see whether sex offenders are living where they say they do, Surratt said.
The sex-offender registration program could see cutbacks at a time of high public and political concern about where such offenders live, but officials are looking at ways to do the job more effectively.
Sgt. John Adams, who supervises the department's sex-offender registration program, said his unit has been giving on-duty patrol officers lists of sex offenders' addresses to check when they have the time. That results in about 15 to 20 hours of work a week but without overtime costs, he said.
Tulsa has 478 registered sex-offenders, and "we are really behind on our efforts," Adams said.
Been said the department is looking at several proposals to compensate for the grant cutback.
One of those options is letting reserve police officers, who are volunteers, check sex offenders' reported addresses, Adams said.
Another program funded by grants pays officers' overtime for cleaning up methamphetamine labs and also pays for such items as officers' protective clothing and respirators.
A $250,000 grant that expires at the end of August has paid for expenses associated with helping children recover after living in homes used as meth labs. The city is not renewing that Community Oriented Policing Services grant, Surratt said.
Anticipating cutbacks to the meth-lab cleanup grant, narcotics investigators will use their money to replace equipment before the grant expires, said Sgt. Harold Adair, a supervisor with the department's Special Investigations Division.
Meth labs are cleaned by a team of officers who are on call and paid overtime for their work.
Recent state legislation regulating the sale of a primary ingredient of the drug has dropped the number of labs seized by about 75 percent, and the teams now average about four to five labs a month, Adair said.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration estimates that the average cost of cleaning up a lab has fallen to between $2,000 and $3,000, the Office of National Drug Control Policy's Web site said.
Two programs that put more officers on the streets in specific areas of the city have been added to the overtime-grant package.
The grant pays overtime costs for officers and supervisors working the patrols. It has also been used to buy equipment such as barricades, traffic cones and a trailer to transport equipment.
One area of the North Peoria Enhanced Security Grant's focus has been violent crime sites, including murders, over the years. Police began heavily patrolling the 5000 block of North Peoria Avenue after a man fired shots into a crowd there July 7, 2002. That man, Aundra Maurice Talton, opened fire in a parking lot and wounded two people. He also shot at police, who returned fire and killed him.
Another fatal shooting took place there early Oct. 3, 2004, when James Alan Brown Jr., 38, was killed.
The 21st Street and Garnett Road Security grant is similar to its counterpart on Peoria, Surratt said.
The extra patrols were in response to violent crimes, including shootings, in the area, Surratt said. "We have officers there to kind of keep the peace," he said.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Drug-Terror Connection Disputed
DRUG-TERROR CONNECTION DISPUTED DEA Defends Traveling Exhibit as Critics Draw Parallels to Prohibition Era A photograph of President Bush waving a flag after the Sept. 11 attacks is juxtaposed against a black-and-white image of an African American mother smoking crack cocaine in bed next to her baby. Larger-than-life portraits of Osama bin Laden and Pablo Escobar line the walls. The central message of a traveling Drug Enforcement Administration exhibit unveiled at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry yesterday is that terrorism and drugs are inextricably linked. But advocates of legalization who are leafleting outside the exhibit say the DEA is leaving out an important part of the story. Critics agree that drug trafficking provides a potentially lucrative revenue stream for terrorist organizations. But they say the profit is actually fueled by the government's war on drugs, which creates a situation akin to prohibition of alcohol. "If we taxed and regulated drugs, terrorists wouldn't have drugs as a source of profit," said Tom Angell of the nonprofit Students for Sensible Drug Policy, which focuses on restoring financial aid for college students with drug convictions. "With the connection to Prohibition in Chicago we should know better," said Pete Guither, a professor of theater management at Illinois State University and founder of the blog DrugWarRant.com. DEA spokesman Steve Robertson responded: "We're a law enforcement agency -- we enforce the laws as they are written. Congress makes the laws. People say if we didn't have [drug] laws there wouldn't be a problem, but there was a problem before and that's why laws were established." Jeanne Barr, a history teacher at a private Chicago high school, plans to distribute fliers and bring her students to study the exhibit, titled "Target America: Opening Eyes to the Damage Drugs Cause." "We'll look for possible omissions and oversimplifications," she said. "They don't pin any blame on the prohibition of drugs. But from my understanding of history, the major source of the black market is prohibition. I don't think there's any difference between alcohol prohibition and what we're looking at today." Critics of the DEA exhibit also question its linking of drugs to al-Qaeda. Another Web site with which Guither is affiliated, http://www.deatargetsamerica.com/ , quotes the Sept. 11 commission report as finding that "there is no reliable evidence that Bin Ladin was involved in or made his money through drug trafficking." The 2001 attacks are clearly the centerpiece of the exhibit, with a display of rubble and artifacts from Ground Zero under a banner reading "Traffickers, Terrorists and You." "For al-Qaeda it's hard" to prove a link, said DEA public affairs chief Garrison Courtney. "I don't think we're saying 9/11 was caused by drug financing. But we're saying there is a link between drugs and terror, and September 11 is a poignant example of terrorism. Terrorists don't hold bake sales to raise money." The exhibit includes a list of organizations designated as terrorist by the State Department, with the explanation that "nearly 50 percent" of them get funds through drug trafficking. There is a replica of a heroin-processing lab in Afghanistan and references to heroin production funding the Taliban. But it does not mention that the Taliban publicly opposed heroin production, though federal prosecutors allege that Baz Mohammed, a recently convicted Afghan drug kingpin, had ties to al-Qaeda; that the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported in 2003 that production of opium poppies in Afghanistan rose dramatically after the Taliban was overthrown; or that a top U.S. anti-drug official recently acknowledged allies' doubts about the effectiveness of poppy eradication in Afghanistan, where poor farmers have few options on crops. "The Taliban said they had a moratorium on the production of opium poppies, but they were taxing the farmers who were doing it anyway," said DEA agent David Lorino, who was in Afghanistan. The exhibit says the 2004 Madrid train bombing involved a hashish-for-explosives swap, and that in 2002 federal agents foiled two plans to trade heroin and hashish for Stinger antiaircraft missiles that suspects planned to sell to al-Qaeda and a Colombian paramilitary organization. The exhibit features Colombian and Peruvian guerrilla forces financed by cocaine. The exhibit opened in Dallas on Sept. 11, 2003, and has been shown in New York, Omaha and Detroit. It was brought to Chicago at the request of Mayor Richard M. Daley ( D ), who blamed drugs for "80 percent of the crime factor in our city" in his remarks when the exhibit opened. The Chicago component of the exhibit highlights terror caused by local gangs involved with drugs. DEA spokesman Robertson also took a broader view of terrorism and drugs. "Terrorists' goal is to tear down current societies and governments and offer something else," he said. "Drug abuse degrades societies from within because of the effect on society, on users and on health services. Drug trafficking is a way to degrade societies, which helps terrorists in their goal."
New Museum Exhibit Tackles Drugs
NEW MUSEUM EXHIBIT TACKLES DRUGS
Aimed At Children, Displays Show Impact On Everyday People, Crime, Terrorism
First there was "Just Say No." Then came the frying egg and a dire warning: "This is your brain on drugs."
Now the anti-drug message is spread across 5,000 square feet at the Museum of Science and Industry, replete with depictions of a drug-addled brain, a mock methamphetamine lab and twisted wreckage from the World Trade Center.
The traveling exhibit, sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration, is equal parts science, history and social commentary. Critics say it is propaganda that lacks balance, but thousands of schoolchildren in five cities have passed through its halls, including teen drug and alcohol offenders sentenced to see it by a Michigan judge.
"Target America: Opening Eyes to the Damage Drugs Cause" opens Friday and runs through Dec. 3.
Peter Bensinger, a former DEA head who worked to bring the exhibit to Chicago, said it is a remedy for years of less than effective drug education efforts. The target audience, he said, is children ages 8 to 14.
"The brain doesn't look like a fried egg," said Bensinger, who led the agency from 1976 to 1981. "This is reaching out beyond a passive message on TV or a catchy phrase.
"We're not going to arrest our way out of the drug problem in America," he added. "We need education."
The first scene visitors see after passing through the exhibit's double doors is jarring: a crumpled green Thunderbird that a man high on marijuana, cocaine, benzodiazepines and opiates slammed into a car carrying a woman and her three children. The woman died.
From there, the exhibit chronicles the stages of the drug trade from production to trafficking to money laundering. A reproduction of a crack dealer's apartment includes cigarette butts on the floor, ripped wallpaper and a soiled diaper.
Elsewhere there are faux heroin and cocaine production plants, a scientific look at how drugs affect the body and "The Chicago Story," which chronicles the local drug war by detailing advances in drug-busting technology and major arrests over the decades.
That section also offers visitors the opportunity to watch unsuspecting museum patrons with a police camera mounted in the lobby--the same kind used to track drug deals in high-crime neighborhoods.
What often attracts the most attention, organizers say, is the "Lost Talent" portion--photographs of people killed by drugs, ranging from teenagers to rock stars. There is also a slide show of photos of people whose deaths are linked to drugs in some way.
Among them is Jay Balchunas, a Wisconsin Department of Justice investigator who was killed in 2004 in a gas station robbery while on his way to a drug investigation. Balchunas' sister Linda Lamm, 34, of New Berlin, Wis., took her two sons to tour the exhibit.
"I know not to do any of that stuff," said Andy Lamm, 8, as he looked over "Breaking the Cycle," a history of law enforcement's pursuit of illegal drugs. "Don't do drugs."
A heavy effort is made to link drugs to terrorism, and near an enormous image of Osama bin Laden it is noted that Al Qaeda has thrived in the drug trade. But the connection isn't always as clear: In the "Impact on the World" display, images from the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks sit beside a photo described as "addicts getting high."
Even Bensinger had a hard time explaining it.
The exhibit also includes browned and distorted pieces of the World Trade Center, which sit in the middle of the hall beside pieces of the Pentagon.
The link between drugs and those pieces of wreckage seems circuitous at best, leading critics to say the exhibit is more like propaganda than an objective treatment of the topic.
An A-list of visitors came out for Thursday's opening, including DEA Administrator Karen Tandy, Mayor Richard Daley, Police Supt. Philip Cline and former Chicago Cub Ryne Sandberg, whose foundation is a sponsor, as is the McCormick Tribune Foundation.
"Kids are getting all kinds of misinformation out there, from their friends, from legalizers, from the Internet," Tandy said "These are the real facts about the consequences of drugs. ... Kids will get their one-stop shopping here real fast."
Aimed At Children, Displays Show Impact On Everyday People, Crime, Terrorism
First there was "Just Say No." Then came the frying egg and a dire warning: "This is your brain on drugs."
Now the anti-drug message is spread across 5,000 square feet at the Museum of Science and Industry, replete with depictions of a drug-addled brain, a mock methamphetamine lab and twisted wreckage from the World Trade Center.
The traveling exhibit, sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration, is equal parts science, history and social commentary. Critics say it is propaganda that lacks balance, but thousands of schoolchildren in five cities have passed through its halls, including teen drug and alcohol offenders sentenced to see it by a Michigan judge.
"Target America: Opening Eyes to the Damage Drugs Cause" opens Friday and runs through Dec. 3.
Peter Bensinger, a former DEA head who worked to bring the exhibit to Chicago, said it is a remedy for years of less than effective drug education efforts. The target audience, he said, is children ages 8 to 14.
"The brain doesn't look like a fried egg," said Bensinger, who led the agency from 1976 to 1981. "This is reaching out beyond a passive message on TV or a catchy phrase.
"We're not going to arrest our way out of the drug problem in America," he added. "We need education."
The first scene visitors see after passing through the exhibit's double doors is jarring: a crumpled green Thunderbird that a man high on marijuana, cocaine, benzodiazepines and opiates slammed into a car carrying a woman and her three children. The woman died.
From there, the exhibit chronicles the stages of the drug trade from production to trafficking to money laundering. A reproduction of a crack dealer's apartment includes cigarette butts on the floor, ripped wallpaper and a soiled diaper.
Elsewhere there are faux heroin and cocaine production plants, a scientific look at how drugs affect the body and "The Chicago Story," which chronicles the local drug war by detailing advances in drug-busting technology and major arrests over the decades.
That section also offers visitors the opportunity to watch unsuspecting museum patrons with a police camera mounted in the lobby--the same kind used to track drug deals in high-crime neighborhoods.
What often attracts the most attention, organizers say, is the "Lost Talent" portion--photographs of people killed by drugs, ranging from teenagers to rock stars. There is also a slide show of photos of people whose deaths are linked to drugs in some way.
Among them is Jay Balchunas, a Wisconsin Department of Justice investigator who was killed in 2004 in a gas station robbery while on his way to a drug investigation. Balchunas' sister Linda Lamm, 34, of New Berlin, Wis., took her two sons to tour the exhibit.
"I know not to do any of that stuff," said Andy Lamm, 8, as he looked over "Breaking the Cycle," a history of law enforcement's pursuit of illegal drugs. "Don't do drugs."
A heavy effort is made to link drugs to terrorism, and near an enormous image of Osama bin Laden it is noted that Al Qaeda has thrived in the drug trade. But the connection isn't always as clear: In the "Impact on the World" display, images from the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks sit beside a photo described as "addicts getting high."
Even Bensinger had a hard time explaining it.
The exhibit also includes browned and distorted pieces of the World Trade Center, which sit in the middle of the hall beside pieces of the Pentagon.
The link between drugs and those pieces of wreckage seems circuitous at best, leading critics to say the exhibit is more like propaganda than an objective treatment of the topic.
An A-list of visitors came out for Thursday's opening, including DEA Administrator Karen Tandy, Mayor Richard Daley, Police Supt. Philip Cline and former Chicago Cub Ryne Sandberg, whose foundation is a sponsor, as is the McCormick Tribune Foundation.
"Kids are getting all kinds of misinformation out there, from their friends, from legalizers, from the Internet," Tandy said "These are the real facts about the consequences of drugs. ... Kids will get their one-stop shopping here real fast."
Drug-Terror Connection Disputed
DRUG-TERROR CONNECTION DISPUTED
DEA Defends Traveling Exhibit as Critics Draw Parallels to Prohibition Era
A photograph of President Bush waving a flag after the Sept. 11 attacks is juxtaposed against a black-and-white image of an African American mother smoking crack cocaine in bed next to her baby. Larger-than-life portraits of Osama bin Laden and Pablo Escobar line the walls. The central message of a traveling Drug Enforcement Administration exhibit unveiled at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry yesterday is that terrorism and drugs are inextricably linked.
But advocates of legalization who are leafleting outside the exhibit say the DEA is leaving out an important part of the story. Critics agree that drug trafficking provides a potentially lucrative revenue stream for terrorist organizations. But they say the profit is actually fueled by the government's war on drugs, which creates a situation akin to prohibition of alcohol.
"If we taxed and regulated drugs, terrorists wouldn't have drugs as a source of profit," said Tom Angell of the nonprofit Students for Sensible Drug Policy, which focuses on restoring financial aid for college students with drug convictions.
"With the connection to Prohibition in Chicago we should know better," said Pete Guither, a professor of theater management at Illinois State University and founder of the blog DrugWarRant.com.
DEA spokesman Steve Robertson responded: "We're a law enforcement agency -- we enforce the laws as they are written. Congress makes the laws. People say if we didn't have [drug] laws there wouldn't be a problem, but there was a problem before and that's why laws were established."
Jeanne Barr, a history teacher at a private Chicago high school, plans to distribute fliers and bring her students to study the exhibit, titled "Target America: Opening Eyes to the Damage Drugs Cause."
"We'll look for possible omissions and oversimplifications," she said. "They don't pin any blame on the prohibition of drugs. But from my understanding of history, the major source of the black market is prohibition. I don't think there's any difference between alcohol prohibition and what we're looking at today."
Critics of the DEA exhibit also question its linking of drugs to al-Qaeda. Another Web site with which Guither is affiliated, http://www.deatargetsamerica.com/ , quotes the Sept. 11 commission report as finding that "there is no reliable evidence that Bin Ladin was involved in or made his money through drug trafficking."
The 2001 attacks are clearly the centerpiece of the exhibit, with a display of rubble and artifacts from Ground Zero under a banner reading "Traffickers, Terrorists and You."
"For al-Qaeda it's hard" to prove a link, said DEA public affairs chief Garrison Courtney. "I don't think we're saying 9/11 was caused by drug financing. But we're saying there is a link between drugs and terror, and September 11 is a poignant example of terrorism. Terrorists don't hold bake sales to raise money."
The exhibit includes a list of organizations designated as terrorist by the State Department, with the explanation that "nearly 50 percent" of them get funds through drug trafficking. There is a replica of a heroin-processing lab in Afghanistan and references to heroin production funding the Taliban.
But it does not mention that the Taliban publicly opposed heroin production, though federal prosecutors allege that Baz Mohammed, a recently convicted Afghan drug kingpin, had ties to al-Qaeda; that the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported in 2003 that production of opium poppies in Afghanistan rose dramatically after the Taliban was overthrown; or that a top U.S. anti-drug official recently acknowledged allies' doubts about the effectiveness of poppy eradication in Afghanistan, where poor farmers have few options on crops.
"The Taliban said they had a moratorium on the production of opium poppies, but they were taxing the farmers who were doing it anyway," said DEA agent David Lorino, who was in Afghanistan.
The exhibit says the 2004 Madrid train bombing involved a hashish-for-explosives swap, and that in 2002 federal agents foiled two plans to trade heroin and hashish for Stinger antiaircraft missiles that suspects planned to sell to al-Qaeda and a Colombian paramilitary organization. The exhibit features Colombian and Peruvian guerrilla forces financed by cocaine.
The exhibit opened in Dallas on Sept. 11, 2003, and has been shown in New York, Omaha and Detroit. It was brought to Chicago at the request of Mayor Richard M. Daley ( D ), who blamed drugs for "80 percent of the crime factor in our city" in his remarks when the exhibit opened.
The Chicago component of the exhibit highlights terror caused by local gangs involved with drugs. DEA spokesman Robertson also took a broader view of terrorism and drugs.
"Terrorists' goal is to tear down current societies and governments and offer something else," he said. "Drug abuse degrades societies from within because of the effect on society, on users and on health services. Drug trafficking is a way to degrade societies, which helps terrorists in their goal."
DEA Defends Traveling Exhibit as Critics Draw Parallels to Prohibition Era
A photograph of President Bush waving a flag after the Sept. 11 attacks is juxtaposed against a black-and-white image of an African American mother smoking crack cocaine in bed next to her baby. Larger-than-life portraits of Osama bin Laden and Pablo Escobar line the walls. The central message of a traveling Drug Enforcement Administration exhibit unveiled at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry yesterday is that terrorism and drugs are inextricably linked.
But advocates of legalization who are leafleting outside the exhibit say the DEA is leaving out an important part of the story. Critics agree that drug trafficking provides a potentially lucrative revenue stream for terrorist organizations. But they say the profit is actually fueled by the government's war on drugs, which creates a situation akin to prohibition of alcohol.
"If we taxed and regulated drugs, terrorists wouldn't have drugs as a source of profit," said Tom Angell of the nonprofit Students for Sensible Drug Policy, which focuses on restoring financial aid for college students with drug convictions.
"With the connection to Prohibition in Chicago we should know better," said Pete Guither, a professor of theater management at Illinois State University and founder of the blog DrugWarRant.com.
DEA spokesman Steve Robertson responded: "We're a law enforcement agency -- we enforce the laws as they are written. Congress makes the laws. People say if we didn't have [drug] laws there wouldn't be a problem, but there was a problem before and that's why laws were established."
Jeanne Barr, a history teacher at a private Chicago high school, plans to distribute fliers and bring her students to study the exhibit, titled "Target America: Opening Eyes to the Damage Drugs Cause."
"We'll look for possible omissions and oversimplifications," she said. "They don't pin any blame on the prohibition of drugs. But from my understanding of history, the major source of the black market is prohibition. I don't think there's any difference between alcohol prohibition and what we're looking at today."
Critics of the DEA exhibit also question its linking of drugs to al-Qaeda. Another Web site with which Guither is affiliated, http://www.deatargetsamerica.com/ , quotes the Sept. 11 commission report as finding that "there is no reliable evidence that Bin Ladin was involved in or made his money through drug trafficking."
The 2001 attacks are clearly the centerpiece of the exhibit, with a display of rubble and artifacts from Ground Zero under a banner reading "Traffickers, Terrorists and You."
"For al-Qaeda it's hard" to prove a link, said DEA public affairs chief Garrison Courtney. "I don't think we're saying 9/11 was caused by drug financing. But we're saying there is a link between drugs and terror, and September 11 is a poignant example of terrorism. Terrorists don't hold bake sales to raise money."
The exhibit includes a list of organizations designated as terrorist by the State Department, with the explanation that "nearly 50 percent" of them get funds through drug trafficking. There is a replica of a heroin-processing lab in Afghanistan and references to heroin production funding the Taliban.
But it does not mention that the Taliban publicly opposed heroin production, though federal prosecutors allege that Baz Mohammed, a recently convicted Afghan drug kingpin, had ties to al-Qaeda; that the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported in 2003 that production of opium poppies in Afghanistan rose dramatically after the Taliban was overthrown; or that a top U.S. anti-drug official recently acknowledged allies' doubts about the effectiveness of poppy eradication in Afghanistan, where poor farmers have few options on crops.
"The Taliban said they had a moratorium on the production of opium poppies, but they were taxing the farmers who were doing it anyway," said DEA agent David Lorino, who was in Afghanistan.
The exhibit says the 2004 Madrid train bombing involved a hashish-for-explosives swap, and that in 2002 federal agents foiled two plans to trade heroin and hashish for Stinger antiaircraft missiles that suspects planned to sell to al-Qaeda and a Colombian paramilitary organization. The exhibit features Colombian and Peruvian guerrilla forces financed by cocaine.
The exhibit opened in Dallas on Sept. 11, 2003, and has been shown in New York, Omaha and Detroit. It was brought to Chicago at the request of Mayor Richard M. Daley ( D ), who blamed drugs for "80 percent of the crime factor in our city" in his remarks when the exhibit opened.
The Chicago component of the exhibit highlights terror caused by local gangs involved with drugs. DEA spokesman Robertson also took a broader view of terrorism and drugs.
"Terrorists' goal is to tear down current societies and governments and offer something else," he said. "Drug abuse degrades societies from within because of the effect on society, on users and on health services. Drug trafficking is a way to degrade societies, which helps terrorists in their goal."
Cops Warn Of Former Grow Ops
COPS WARN OF FORMER GROW OPS
New Website to Be a Tool for Homebuyers
Guelph Police say a web page that lists former marijuana grow operations in the city is a tool to help the public become more aware of a widespread problem.
"It's a proactive way to keep our citizens informed of where this activity has been happening in Guelph, and to help ensure that the unsuspecting citizen that's buying a house is not buying one of these places that has been used as a grow operation," Chief Rob Davis said.
The police service launched the web page on July 20. The link can be found on the community relations page of the police service's website, at www.police.guelph.on.ca.
The list currently includes 22 addresses where police discovered grow ops between February 2002 and July of this year, and the number of plants seized at each location.
Guelph Police had discussed publicizing grow op locations for a long time, Davis said. The talks became more serious around the province after a ruling from Ontario's assistant information and privacy commissioner earlier this year, he said.
The February decision said York Regional Police were obliged to disclose a list of former grow op locations and related information, following a freedom of information request from a member of the media.
The London Police Service publicized grow op addresses on its website even before that.
Grow operations in homes can lead to health hazards, particularly mould and faulty electrical systems, said Guelph Police spokesperson Sergeant Dave Elloway.
"It has to be a warm and humid environment to grow marijuana," he said. "And there can also be modifications to the hydro meter."
That kind of information would be useful to real estate agents, who previously had to rely on guesswork to tell if a home had ever housed a grow op, said Robb Atkinson, owner of Royal City Royal Lepage Realty.
"This link will be a great resource for us," he said.
But one sociology professor from the University of Guelph said the list could have a negative effect on the neighbourhoods where grow ops have been discovered.
Patrick Parnaby said American research about sharing crime location data over the Internet has raised concerns about "spatial labelling."
"Spatial labelling takes place when an entire street or neighbourhood becomes stigmatized because, after viewing the data, the public sees the criminal event not as an isolated occurrence, but as an indicator that things are getting worse in a general area," he said in an e-mail.
"Once residents label a street or neighbourhood as being problematic ( i.e., having a history of grow ops ) the implications can be -- although, are not always -- unfortunate: sale of homes, fear, lack of trust, etc."
But Davis and Elloway point out the addresses on the list come from all parts of Guelph, including rural areas on the outskirts of town and newer areas in the south end.
"It's not confined to one area," Davis said. "It's pretty widespread.
"I think what we want to do is encourage the public, through one more avenue, to be vigilant in your own neighbourhood, because you never know when it's going to be right around you."
Guelph Police were already releasing the addresses of grow operations even before the web page was up and putting Crime Stoppers signs on the lawn when they're busted, he added.
"I think the public needs to know that stuff," he said.
Police will continue posting addresses as grow ops are discovered, and looking at the web page and public response to decide how to proceed, Davis said.
New Website to Be a Tool for Homebuyers
Guelph Police say a web page that lists former marijuana grow operations in the city is a tool to help the public become more aware of a widespread problem.
"It's a proactive way to keep our citizens informed of where this activity has been happening in Guelph, and to help ensure that the unsuspecting citizen that's buying a house is not buying one of these places that has been used as a grow operation," Chief Rob Davis said.
The police service launched the web page on July 20. The link can be found on the community relations page of the police service's website, at www.police.guelph.on.ca.
The list currently includes 22 addresses where police discovered grow ops between February 2002 and July of this year, and the number of plants seized at each location.
Guelph Police had discussed publicizing grow op locations for a long time, Davis said. The talks became more serious around the province after a ruling from Ontario's assistant information and privacy commissioner earlier this year, he said.
The February decision said York Regional Police were obliged to disclose a list of former grow op locations and related information, following a freedom of information request from a member of the media.
The London Police Service publicized grow op addresses on its website even before that.
Grow operations in homes can lead to health hazards, particularly mould and faulty electrical systems, said Guelph Police spokesperson Sergeant Dave Elloway.
"It has to be a warm and humid environment to grow marijuana," he said. "And there can also be modifications to the hydro meter."
That kind of information would be useful to real estate agents, who previously had to rely on guesswork to tell if a home had ever housed a grow op, said Robb Atkinson, owner of Royal City Royal Lepage Realty.
"This link will be a great resource for us," he said.
But one sociology professor from the University of Guelph said the list could have a negative effect on the neighbourhoods where grow ops have been discovered.
Patrick Parnaby said American research about sharing crime location data over the Internet has raised concerns about "spatial labelling."
"Spatial labelling takes place when an entire street or neighbourhood becomes stigmatized because, after viewing the data, the public sees the criminal event not as an isolated occurrence, but as an indicator that things are getting worse in a general area," he said in an e-mail.
"Once residents label a street or neighbourhood as being problematic ( i.e., having a history of grow ops ) the implications can be -- although, are not always -- unfortunate: sale of homes, fear, lack of trust, etc."
But Davis and Elloway point out the addresses on the list come from all parts of Guelph, including rural areas on the outskirts of town and newer areas in the south end.
"It's not confined to one area," Davis said. "It's pretty widespread.
"I think what we want to do is encourage the public, through one more avenue, to be vigilant in your own neighbourhood, because you never know when it's going to be right around you."
Guelph Police were already releasing the addresses of grow operations even before the web page was up and putting Crime Stoppers signs on the lawn when they're busted, he added.
"I think the public needs to know that stuff," he said.
Police will continue posting addresses as grow ops are discovered, and looking at the web page and public response to decide how to proceed, Davis said.
Friday, August 11, 2006
The Government's Sick War on Marijuana
THE GOVERNMENT'S SICK WAR ON MARIJUANA Excuse me for a moment while I vent about the mind-boggling stupidity of the autocratic, bureaucratic, right-wing, Neanderthal numbskulls who keep pushing an insane, inane, and inhumane holy war against marijuana -- which is after all, a weed. The most embarrassing thing for these holy warriors is that the weed is winning! They've been at this war since 1937, spending billions and billions of our tax dollars, militarizing our borders, and stomping on our Bill of Rights. They've used phone taps, garbage searches, jack-booted raids, and draconian prison terms to... well, to do what? To nab peaceful, mellow tokers who aren't bothering anyone, that's what. Despite 60 years of spending our money, they've failed: 85 percent of Americans say marijuana is easy to obtain today, a third of our population says they've tried it, nearly 15 million people partake of it at least monthly -- and more high school students now smoke marijuana than cigarettes. Meanwhile, the holy warriors have become more fanatical and thuggish than ever. A marijuana arrest is made every 41 seconds in America -- nine out of 10 of them for mere possession. In 2004, 772,000 Americans were arrested on marijuana charges -- more than for all violent crimes combined. And 40,000 Americans are in prison today for this victimless crime -- more than the entire prison populations of eight European countries. Even sicker, the sanctimonious weed warriors have made it a crime for thousands of seriously sick people to get the medical benefits of using small amounts of doctor-prescribed marijuana. Weirdly, our doctors can prescribe cocaine for patients -- but not marijuana. Worse, drug thugs from the Drug Enforcement Agency and FBI bust down the doors of these patients, seize their dosages... and haul them to jail. For information and action to stop this absurd war, call the Marijuana Policy Project: 202-462-5747.
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Thursday, August 10, 2006
Marijuana Field Found Near Highway
MARIJUANA FIELD FOUND NEAR HIGHWAY Wayne County law enforcement officers discovered and seized more than 313 marijuana plants Monday at two sites near Piney Grove Church Road off of U.S. 70 East. With the help of one of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office helicopters, the Goldsboro-Wayne County Drug Squad and the Wayne Sheriff's ACE Team found the plants, which would have had a street value of more than $750,000 if allowed to mature. Officers spotted the first 13 plants near the Lenoir County line while on a routine flight, Lt. Tom Effler of the Sheriff's Office said. On the way back, they hit the jackpot. "We spotted the 300 coming back from the 13," Effler said. The larger planting was behind Adamsville Church of God in the woods next to a corn field adjacent to the county's industrial park. Effler said that investigators fly as much as possible this time of year, knowing that plants will be soon be reaching maturity. Most of the plants found Monday were 8-10 feet tall, Effler said, and showed signs of a green thumb, or thumbs. "They had been in there most of the year. They were well taken care of, big, beautiful plants," he said. Last week, eight marijuana plants were found off of U.S. 70 East about three miles from the Lenoir County line. They had an estimated value at maturity of $19,000.. In June, local law enforcement officers found more than 15,000 plants in five different fields near Black Jack Church and Ferry Bridge roads -- the largest marijuana seizure in the county's history.
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Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Help For Hooked Teens
HELP FOR HOOKED TEENS A longtime void for those who give support to adolescents struggling with addiction may soon be filled, Nelly Elayoubi writes A woman with short brown hair tucks her fingers under her glasses and wipes away the tears that are falling. "My home is really bad right now. I'm sorry," she says as she breaks down crying. Another woman reaches for the box of tissue sitting on the table in the middle of a group of parents. She plucks a few tissues and hands it to the sobbing mother. "I'm a wreck. I feel I've been a wreck forever now." She opens up to seven other moms, who, like her, have children with drug or alcohol addictions. Her son was only in Grade 8 when she found three empty 500 ml bottles of cough syrup in his backpack. Now 17, he says he only smokes pot but his mom is convinced that he uses cocaine, ecstasy and magic mushrooms. His mother gave him a tough ultimatum -- either get out or get clean. He got out and lives with three other teens. "I want to help him. I want to help him find a place to stay, buy him food, but I know that I can't because I won't be teaching him anything," said the mom, still crying. A group of counsellors tell her: "You're always there to love them .. just not there to rescue them."
The Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre is a little house that can be missed by the fast-moving traffic on Bronson Ave. Youth aged 13 to 18 participate in various programs from Monday to Friday, in the form of a school day. "The drug of choice is marijuana with alcohol close behind," says Mike Beauchesne, who runs the addictions programs. "Ecstasy, cocaine are also big. We see some, but not a lot, of heroin and crystal meth." Most of the youth have other issues -- depression, learning challenges, or trouble with the law or school. Some come to the centre on their own. Many are forced to by their school or their parents. "Sometimes parents come here or send their child here thinking that 'poof, they're in treatment, problems are over and I'm going to have my child back,' " says executive director Melody Paruboczy. "It's not like that. It would be nice to have that magic wand."
Dave Smith is the only addiction centre for young people, but advocates say there's a huge gap in services and support for youth under the age of 16 with addictions. When Smith opened the centre, his goal was to have a residential treatment centre. But funding just hasn't come through. Youth addiction isn't a "sexy issue." If it's going to be a priority, all levels of government need to work together, says Paruboczy. The closest residential treatment centre is Alwood Coed Residential Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centre in Carleton Place. But it only serves youth aged 16 to 22 and there's a three-month waiting list. "About half of the people ( who ) apply actually end up being admitted for a variety of reasons," says Pauline Sawyer, Alwood's executive director. "Sometimes they go somewhere else, or in some cases, go back to using." Funding Crunch The 14-bed facility with rooms for six females and eight males at a time hasn't seen sufficient increases to base funding from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care in more than a decade, Sawyer says. "The other area we run into problems is staff retention, because without having regular increases to our budget, we can't offer competitive salaries," Sawyer says. Those younger than 16 are forced to travel to the Sister Margaret Smith Centre in Thunder Bay, which also has a waiting list. "It doesn't make sense to be shipping youth that young to Thunder Bay," Sawyer says, adding there needs to be another residential treatment facility and supports the city in its bid. "We get, I'd say on average, two calls a day looking for treatment for clients that are 15 and sometimes 14."
Ottawa Mayor Bob Chiarelli says there is momentum to get a residential substance abuse treatment facility in the capital. Last year, after the crack pipe controversy, Chiarelli organized a meeting with city managers, including Police Chief Vince Bevan and Dr. Robert Cushman, CEO for the Champlain Local Health Integration Network. It found a "major and wide ranging" issue with drugs and addictions in the city. Out of that, a decision was made to form a community partnership to address those issues. Since then, 30 individuals and groups have come together to compare mandates and the challenges they face. Among priorities identified in the Ottawa Integrated Drugs and Addictions strategy that was unveiled in June is establishing a residential substance abuse treatment centre for youth 16 and under. Chiarelli then announced that the city was in talks with the government to purchase land along the Rideau River, near Burritt's Rapids, the site of the former Rideau Correctional Centre. The plan is to turn it into a youth treatment facility that is expected to have up to 200 spaces available.
Marie Taylor vividly remembers a young girl she worked with on and off for about five years. The girl was into drugs -- from pot to cocaine and everything in between. She was 12, and had had it rough growing up under a single mother. She was "very much in need of having a trusting adult in her life." "With this girl, her personality was so extreme that when she was happy, everyone was happy," Taylor remembers. "She was like a ray of sunshine. And when she crashed, she brought everyone down." The girl left the centre without a word of goodbye. It's not unusual, Taylor said, for young people to just disappear. Because it is only a day treatment centre, a counsellor can only do so much in those hours. "We need a residential program. The youth come here for the day and we work with them, and then at 5 p.m., they go back to the street, to their home, to an environment that may trigger them to use," she says. With a plan in place to build such a centre, there's hope Ottawa's addicted youth will have a better chance to kick their habits. [sidebar] THE BEACON ON BRONSON Here's a look at some facts about the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre: - - Opened its doors in March 1993. - - More than 600 clients are helped each year. - - Currently there are 100-150 active clients, not including intake phone calls the centre receives. - - The drug of choice among youth seeking treatment is marijuana, followed by alcohol. - - Programs include: First Contact, a structured group therapy program; individual counselling; intensive day program is the core program for the centre and runs for 10 weeks; The Continuing Care program is for clients who have completed the Intensive Day program or have recently completed a residential treatment program and require follow-up support with relapse prevention and new lifestyle management; parent education program is for parents with children with addictions. - - It has five full-time counsellors and one parent who is a part-time volunteer in the parent support group program. - - One in six high school students report symptoms of drug use problems.
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The Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre is a little house that can be missed by the fast-moving traffic on Bronson Ave. Youth aged 13 to 18 participate in various programs from Monday to Friday, in the form of a school day. "The drug of choice is marijuana with alcohol close behind," says Mike Beauchesne, who runs the addictions programs. "Ecstasy, cocaine are also big. We see some, but not a lot, of heroin and crystal meth." Most of the youth have other issues -- depression, learning challenges, or trouble with the law or school. Some come to the centre on their own. Many are forced to by their school or their parents. "Sometimes parents come here or send their child here thinking that 'poof, they're in treatment, problems are over and I'm going to have my child back,' " says executive director Melody Paruboczy. "It's not like that. It would be nice to have that magic wand."
Dave Smith is the only addiction centre for young people, but advocates say there's a huge gap in services and support for youth under the age of 16 with addictions. When Smith opened the centre, his goal was to have a residential treatment centre. But funding just hasn't come through. Youth addiction isn't a "sexy issue." If it's going to be a priority, all levels of government need to work together, says Paruboczy. The closest residential treatment centre is Alwood Coed Residential Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centre in Carleton Place. But it only serves youth aged 16 to 22 and there's a three-month waiting list. "About half of the people ( who ) apply actually end up being admitted for a variety of reasons," says Pauline Sawyer, Alwood's executive director. "Sometimes they go somewhere else, or in some cases, go back to using." Funding Crunch The 14-bed facility with rooms for six females and eight males at a time hasn't seen sufficient increases to base funding from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care in more than a decade, Sawyer says. "The other area we run into problems is staff retention, because without having regular increases to our budget, we can't offer competitive salaries," Sawyer says. Those younger than 16 are forced to travel to the Sister Margaret Smith Centre in Thunder Bay, which also has a waiting list. "It doesn't make sense to be shipping youth that young to Thunder Bay," Sawyer says, adding there needs to be another residential treatment facility and supports the city in its bid. "We get, I'd say on average, two calls a day looking for treatment for clients that are 15 and sometimes 14."
Ottawa Mayor Bob Chiarelli says there is momentum to get a residential substance abuse treatment facility in the capital. Last year, after the crack pipe controversy, Chiarelli organized a meeting with city managers, including Police Chief Vince Bevan and Dr. Robert Cushman, CEO for the Champlain Local Health Integration Network. It found a "major and wide ranging" issue with drugs and addictions in the city. Out of that, a decision was made to form a community partnership to address those issues. Since then, 30 individuals and groups have come together to compare mandates and the challenges they face. Among priorities identified in the Ottawa Integrated Drugs and Addictions strategy that was unveiled in June is establishing a residential substance abuse treatment centre for youth 16 and under. Chiarelli then announced that the city was in talks with the government to purchase land along the Rideau River, near Burritt's Rapids, the site of the former Rideau Correctional Centre. The plan is to turn it into a youth treatment facility that is expected to have up to 200 spaces available.
Marie Taylor vividly remembers a young girl she worked with on and off for about five years. The girl was into drugs -- from pot to cocaine and everything in between. She was 12, and had had it rough growing up under a single mother. She was "very much in need of having a trusting adult in her life." "With this girl, her personality was so extreme that when she was happy, everyone was happy," Taylor remembers. "She was like a ray of sunshine. And when she crashed, she brought everyone down." The girl left the centre without a word of goodbye. It's not unusual, Taylor said, for young people to just disappear. Because it is only a day treatment centre, a counsellor can only do so much in those hours. "We need a residential program. The youth come here for the day and we work with them, and then at 5 p.m., they go back to the street, to their home, to an environment that may trigger them to use," she says. With a plan in place to build such a centre, there's hope Ottawa's addicted youth will have a better chance to kick their habits. [sidebar] THE BEACON ON BRONSON Here's a look at some facts about the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre: - - Opened its doors in March 1993. - - More than 600 clients are helped each year. - - Currently there are 100-150 active clients, not including intake phone calls the centre receives. - - The drug of choice among youth seeking treatment is marijuana, followed by alcohol. - - Programs include: First Contact, a structured group therapy program; individual counselling; intensive day program is the core program for the centre and runs for 10 weeks; The Continuing Care program is for clients who have completed the Intensive Day program or have recently completed a residential treatment program and require follow-up support with relapse prevention and new lifestyle management; parent education program is for parents with children with addictions. - - It has five full-time counsellors and one parent who is a part-time volunteer in the parent support group program. - - One in six high school students report symptoms of drug use problems.
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hiv aids fact
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hiv picture
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passing drug test
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Janitor Pens 5 Thrillers
JANITOR PENS 5 THRILLERS Convicts Love His Gritty, Graphic Prose For seven years, Renay "Rainbow" Jackson worked as a janitor at the Oakland Police Department. Wash that. Dump that. Mop that. But always there were questions to detectives: How do you track a weapon used in a crime? What kind of murder is the hardest to unravel? "I was always after them, man," Jackson said recently. He had no criminal intent, just a literary bent. Jackson is the author -- at first, self-published, but now with a Berkeley publishing house -- of the Oaktown Mystery Series. And he's about to release his fifth novel, which details cocaine dealing in Richmond. It won't win him any accolades from that East Bay city's chamber of commerce. It's called "Crack City." It'll probably be another hit with his grateful -- and captive -- audience at the county jail, where the convicts hungrily eat up his prose, a police sergeant said. Jackson has kept his day job, but with a promotion, now serving as a janitorial supervisor making sure others correctly wash that, dump that, mop that. Jackson, 47, grew up in the projects in North Richmond. He knows the ghetto. He knows crime -- his brother is in prison, his sister recently got out. Now, after befriending many cops, he knows the other side of law and order. What he didn't know much about was writing -- or any writers. And most people never thought he'd make money with a pen, instead of a mop. "I'd tell people, 'I'm writing a book,' " Jackson remembered. "And they'd say, 'Yeah, baby,' looking past me. And I'd think, 'that fool don't believe me!' " It is a fairly unbelievable tale. A father of four daughters, it was his second oldest who got him to take up a pen in the fall of 1997. She had an assignment to write about what she did on her summer vacation. He wrote a paragraph about washing his car to show her descriptive writing. She went away, but he kept on writing every day, just for fun. By chapter four, he thought he was on to something, and he was: his first book, "Oaktown Devil," which follows the exploits of law-abiding Oakland resident Rainbow Jordan as he tracks the killer of his drug-dealing brother. Jackson's books aren't for the squeamish. They're about "murder, sex, drugs, violence, vicious killing," he said. "I was self-publishing," so no one could censor him. "I could put what I wanted in them. I went to town. I was coming with it, man." His books are mainly about African-Americans, who have such street names as Black Nasty, Dirty Don and JoMo, an undercover cop. And the dialogue, often profane, is from the streets as well. Here is a scene-setter from "Oaktown Devil." "The corner of 14th and Peralta was at its chaotic best with a gang of fools hanging as usual. Drug transactions took place everywhere along with drinking and getting high." And here's some dialogue from his second book, "Shakey's Loose." "Shake you know dis mah turf an you ain't welcome," Big Ed boomed. "Man dis America jack and the last time ah heard, it was still a free country." "Looka heah . . . ah'm ghin you yo only woanin, you sell on mah turf, you buy from me." The writing is in the tradition of Iceberg Slim and Donald Goines, who wrote ghetto stories a generation ago about their lives as hustlers and pimps. It was Goines' Eldorado Red -- born of the author's experience of ripping off a local numbers house -- that got Jackson to read his first book ever when he was 16. "It wasn't cool to read in my neighborhood," said Jackson, who graduated from high school and years later got an associate arts degree from Laney College in Oakland. And while some criticize Jackson's own violent tales, he said they may get non-reading inner city kids to read. And, then, as happened to him, to start reading a more and diverse library. As a young man and even an adult, Jackson was no fan of the police. "I was anti-police," he said, "because in my neighborhood, you grow up anti-police." He started working as a custodian for Oakland in 1979 -- cleaning up City Hall, the museum, the library, but never the police department. He wanted no part of it. Then, in 1997, he was assigned there. And he discovered, "they're just like regular people," most good, some bad. During his shifts at the Hall of Justice, he soaked it all in, from cops and criminals. "You see all kinda stuff down there," Jackson said. Criminals would blurt out their stories as he stood by, cleaning up. And he had easy access to the cops -- who always knew he was coming with more questions. He would be in the homicide division, the criminal investigations division, the jail. He'd see crime scene pictures. "He would ask me how we would handle things," Sgt. Brian Medeiros, a homicide detective, said recently. "What would you guys do about this?" Medeiros, who's read one of the books, said Jackson used some characteristics of past Oakland detectives for his characters. "Some of it I found interesting," he said of the book. "Some of it I found a little far-fetched." One thing he knows for sure is that the inmates in county jail can't get enough of Jackson's books. One reason is because he uses real locations, and language, from the streets. Inmates at Santa Rita county jail in Dublin "love his reading material," Medeiros said. "They're always trying to get ahold of it." After being rejected by the company that publishes Slim and Goines, Jackson decided to print and dis