Costs taxpayers too much

The Herald is right in its Sept. 28 editorial, “No new taxes mean too few deputies in county.” One only needs to realize that half of all the inmates in prison are there because of the war on drugs. If we intend to adhere to this policy, we need a lot more cops. In fact, if we only arrested and prosecuted pot smokers, we have over 50 million people in the U.S. that, per the existing laws, we need to send to prison.

Not only do we need more cops, but more prosecutors, judges, jailers and prisons as well. Not just a few, but tens of thousands more. Of course, if we end the war on drugs, most of the crime the judicial system has to deal with would simply go away. Think about it. No more burglaries or armed robberies to finance heroin habits. No more drug dealers to pursue and arrest. Even gangs would have a hard time supporting themselves if they lost their illegal revenues from drug sales. We would only need about half as many police, judges, prosecutors, jailers, lawyers and prisons. The county doesn’t need just a little tax increase, it needs 100 percent of everyone’s paycheck to support this insane policy. So, we have a choice – either sign over your entire paycheck to the law enforcement establishment or get smart and write to your elected representatives demanding an end to the war on drugs.

Smokey Point