Libertarian ping! To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.
Posted on 04/27/2006 11:31:21 AM PDT by ncountylee
DES MOINES, IA - Sen. Charles Grassley on Wednesday called for President Bush to fire the nation's drug czar, claiming more needs to be done to combat methamphetamine abuse.
John Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Policy, has been focusing too much on curbing marijuana use, said Grassley, R-Iowa.
Grassley said he wrote Walters calling for more action on meth and the response he received was "basically, bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo."
"I think the president ought to fire the drug czar," Grassley told reporters Wednesday during a conference call.
"Marijuana obviously is a very big drug problem, particularly with the more pure marijuana that's out there now. But the mind-altering aspects of meth are just tremendous, and the change of personality that comes, and the danger of it that comes, particularly when it's domestically made."
A spokesman for Walters declined to comment.
Grassley is the chairman of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control. According to a recent study, his state has the nation's third highest meth treatment rate behind Oregon and Hawaii.
Grassley isn't my favorite guy, but he's right that meth does get short shrift -- it's a lot worse than marijuana, and it's destroying a lot of lives in rural areas.
--what is it about rural areas, I wonder?
He's also right about the need to fire Walters. Walters is an arrogant and ignorant SOB.
Out of sight...out of mind.
Grassley is trying to become John McCain.
I just watched him on CNBC talking about energy.
This guy is blaming Big Oil for the high prices instead of the SENATE!
These senators in both parties are the most incompentent idiots that have ever existed!
"Marijuana obviously is a very big drug problem, particularly with the more pure marijuana that's out there now."
I disagree. And I don't think there's any way that pot should be spoken of as if it were as bad as meth, coke, and heroin. Those drugs are sure death! To the mind, body, and soul.
All part of the lib conspiracy...
Each lib is assigned some White House member to attack, to keep them on defense.
That way the lib's don't need a plan other than 'throw the rascals out'.
I want the drug czar fired, too, along with everyone else working for the failed war on some drugs. You can't even get ephidrine for CONGESTION at some places in my area now, and meanwhile, the criminals seem to be finding boatloads of it. That was an effective decongestent, and now at the very least you have to sign up for big brother's watchlist to get it.
Grassley is getting to be a PITA
Forget what you may think about Grassley or about taking potshots at White Houser officals. The rural areas of this country are the bedrock base of the Republican Party. to blithely ignore problems in the rural areas is just politically stupid. I think Bush himself has a tin ear to these problems. Despite his Texas upbringing, he's still too much Kennybucnkport for me.
I saw an article a couple months back that argued that the focus on marijuana was because other substances are less prevalent, so a war on meth or a war on heroin would take fewer resources.
I note on the ONDCP web site they show lifetime use of heroin for all age groups at 1.4%, meth at 0.3%, and 40.4% for marijuana.
So by their own admission, they're waging a "war" on at least 40.4% of us.
Grasslee ought to be concerned. Why do we need to have a political primary in a state where there are so many meth smokers? Maybe the political lords who determine the order of the primaries are getting their meth from Iowa and THAT is the reason we have to go and genuflect there every 4 years.
ping
So the more "pure" mj does what exactly? Kills people? Makes them use more? Some people are just so uninformed about basic science.
LOL. A friend of mine smoked some "pure" mj last week, and the next day ... he went to work like he does every day.
Well, sure, at some point in our lives.
Their war on me was short-lived, and ended about 20 years ago.
I don't think it's really a matter of meth getting less enforcement really even a matter of not being concentrated upon properly. At least as far as local law enforcement goes.
Marijuana is simply far more common than meth. However, if you don't think law enforcement realizes how bad meth use is, sit down and have a chat with some friendly officers about it.
They can tell you lots of stories how they busted someone doing something stupid and they were under the influence of or in the posession of marijuana.
The stories about meth and tweakers are much less light hearted. The stuff is highly addictive and does ugly things to those who use it. If you talk to the officers enforcing the law, you'll have little doubt that they are concentrating on leads about meth production and distribution over marijuana production and distribution.
I do know a guy who was a DEA agent for a couple years and from what he's told me it's a really screwed up agency that is always being pulled in multiple directions and having it's effectiveness undermined due to politics.
We'd be better off if the DEA was disbanded and enforcement was handled by local law enforcment in the interior, and have the border patrol, coast guard and customs to deal with the federal issue of smuggling across the border.
I think firing Grassley is pointless. It doesn't matter who holds the title, there's no way they can do the job effectively due to the political environment in which they have to operate. Just eliminate the position and cut back on a little government waste.
Oops, I meant firing the drug Czar, not Grassley.
Makes them giggle and eat Doritos. Off with their heads!
In that case, we should fire the Drug Czar and not replace him. I'm all for that.
A czar is simply a waste of funds.
You would trust the officials in MA to make just laws that apply to everyone?
You know the 'pure' MJ right off the plant. Most people don't even know they are smoking 15% MJ cut with 85% oregano
Libertarian ping! To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.
Yup! What you said.
You are correct. That's why there shouldn't be a federal drug "czar" at all. Grassley is half right here. Walters should be dumped on his a$$.
Thoughts?
99% of all drug arrests are made at the state or local level. The DEA is mostly involved with overseas drug interdiction and local border patrol.
Grassley's state has a bad meth problem. More federal focus on meth means more federal dollars to fund meth treatment programs in his state.
I grew up in rural Alabama...farms...catfish grill...honest men...simple life...but that was 30 years ago...as I left and joined the air force. So fast forward to four years ago. We had a guy drive by my dad's house at a high rate of speed...trying to catch up with a another car. Up the road about five miles...he finally caught up and forced the first driver to pull over. The second guy calmly got out...walked to the window of the first guy...and shot him dead on the road. Witneses were on the scene within seconds of the episode and no issue about identification of the shooter. Meth user.
Same period....the house above my dad's farm...the wife...always working...almost 18 hours a day...four kids...part-time job...gets into a late-night argument with the husband. She pulls a knife and slices his throat in a heartbeat. He is gasping and the four kids are trying to get 911. She walks out the door...and walks at least four miles to a relatives house at midnight. He lives...agrees not to prosecute...moma comes home...within four months...she disappears. After a couple of weeks, she calls from out west...she caught a ride with a trucker. Comes home eventually....for a couple of months...then does the same thing again except longer. After 3 years of this...she eventually turns up dead. Meth user.
Crime in town? Yep...ten times what you had 30 years ago. Its only a town of 350-odd people and another 2000 within five miles. There are robberies every week now. The amusing thing is that its all nickle and dime stuff...your chain saw from the garage turns up missing, the $400 Craftsmen saw disappears, the $200 tool box you keep behind the seat of your truck, the $30 weed wacker that you bought at Wal-mart last month, etc. Everyone has homeowners insurance now...and the local insurance guy gets calls each week. The customers are nickle and diming his company to death. He ends up paying out thousands per month...dozens of checks...and the rates can only go up. But thats the whole purpose of insurance...right?
Cops busy? Nope. The one and only cop in town is busy doing DWI's...because that pays a percentage back to him. He drives out of the city limits and drive sup to five miles away...to get these DWI's. He won't bother with the crimes or meth users...because it doesn't pay. In fact, the county cops don't want to mess with the meth guys because once you find the trailer (yep, its always a trailer)...then you bust the lab...well...then you got a toxic waste area to clean. Someone has to pay the $10k to $30k to do that...ain't going to be the meth user...cause he is broke. The county gets stuck with that bill.
How big a problem is it in this po-dunk down? Out of 2,300 odd possible people...you've probably got ten users currently. But don't worry...that will double in five years. Meth is cheap and easy to make. We don't need Juan in Peru to grow the stuff...just Bubba, a trailer, a bathtub, and $300 of ingredients you buy at different stores. Don't even worry about the death rate...new users will keep the percentage pumped up and even grow.
Fearful of the cops coming to your trailer and catching you brew meth? Don't worry...just drive to the state lodge...rent a room...brew it right in the tub there. Silly? Nope...thats exactly what they did at the Joe Wheeler State Park lodge last year. Two meth dudes rented the room...and then as they attempted to leave...the maid finally is allowed in the room...and the guys are carrying the towels to the dumpster (they were nice enough to do that). They had wiped down the tub with the towels...awful kind of them. Maid runs to the lodge chief, and they actually get the guards at the lodge to pull the guys over. By this point...the chief and the maid notice a bad smell from that room...toxic zone. Yep...had to bring the pro's to clean the place down...probably over $10k for that...coming out of lodge funds. You can sue Bubba and his friend all you want...they ain't got cash or property. Just meth.
Multiply this story by 10,000 and you start to paint a new picture of America in 2006. Its not your hometown anymore. Its not clean. Its not pure. Meth is on your doorstep. The local cops, the county sheriff, the state police, the FBI, the US marshalls service...even the drug czar...none of them really care about this. Its rural...its never-ending...and no careers to be made off busting meth users.
Grassley can fire whoever he wants...it doesn't really matter. This problem is way beyond the grasp of any national politican or senator or drug czar. Its hard to see how anything will improve on this issue.
I say get rid of the Drug Czar, and don't replace him. Could someone explain to me why in the hell we have a drug czar in the first place? Stupidity of government in my opinion.
Interesting read. Thanks.
Interesting read. Thanks.
The clueless criticizing the clueless. Funny stuff.
Walters must be from New York.
I assume you are joking. Right?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.