Pro-legalization cops slam drug war recalibration, say Obama ‘just talking about it’

[Echo In Light]

By Stephen C. Webster

The White House announced Tuesday a new strategy for the decades-old War on Drugs, saying it plans to place emphasis on treatment and prevention and urging sharp reductions to drug abuse rates nation-wide.

The plan's rosy language, however, doesn't quite mesh with the reality of the drug war's budget allotment: a fact that did not go unnoticed by activist group Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, which chastised the administration as "just talking about" a truly changed strategy over actually moving ahead with one.

<snip>

The budget places America's drug war spending at $15.5 billion for fiscal year 2011; an increase of 3.5 percent over FY 2010. That figure reflects a 5.2 percent increase in overall enforcement funding, growing from $9.7 billion in FY 2010 to $9.9 billion in FY 2011. Addiction treatment and preventative measures, however, are budgeted at $5.6 billion for FY 2011, an increase from $5.2 billion in FY 2010.

<snip>

"It's great to see the administration starting to talk like they want to actually change failed drug policies," Franklin added in the LEAP advisory. "But we can't let them get away with claiming that they've ended the 'war on drugs' while we continue to arrest 800,000 people a year on marijuana charges alone."

http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0511/police-group-slams-obamas-drug-war-recalibration/

[Flipper999]

1. And so the silly, wasteful game continues

Darn marijuana users! Killing people just to get your next pot fix!

:sarcasm:

[Flaneur]

2. Good for LEAP. Cops have cred on the drug war issue, although I don't know why.

Are cops experts on alcohol because they deal with drunks?

Are cops experts on martial counseling because they deal with domestic disputes? (Their divorce rate would suggest not.)

[Echo In Light]

3. Bump

[Echo In Light]

4. Bump

[Echo In Light]

5. Bump

[Echo In Light]

6. Bump

[Uncle Joe]

7. The so called "War on Drugs" is a dead end street; damaging the nation in countless ways.

"In a media advisory, LEAP cited figures reported by RAW STORY in February, noting: "The strategy devotes 64 percent of the budget to traditional supply reduction strategies like enforcement and interdiction while reserving only 36 percent for demand reduction approaches like treatment and prevention. And, due to accounting changes made under the Bush administration and maintained by Obama, the budget ratio doesn't even take into account some costs of the 'war on drugs' such as incarceration."

According to 2011 funding "highlights" released by the ONDCP (PDF link), the Obama administration is actually growing the drug war and tilting its funds heavily toward law enforcement over treatment."

I hope elected leaders come to power soon in the federal government with enough vision, empathy, wisdom and guts to end this short sighted, asinine policy of class warfare against the American People.

Kicked, but too late to recommend.

Thanks for the thread, Echo In Light.

[Beam Me Up]

8. Same shit, different savior. n/t

[RainDog]

9. kick nt/

[laughingliberal]

10. K & R nt

[Moochy]

11. Change you have to believe in to see!