Pubdate: Tue, 09 May 2000
Source: Roanoke Times (VA)
Copyright: 2000 Roanoke Times
Contact:  201 W. Campbell Ave., Roanoke, Va. 24010
Website: http://www.roanoke.com/roatimes/index.html
Author: Christina Nuckols

GEORGE ALLEN PROMISES STIFF ANTI-DRUG POLICIES

He Says Democrats Not Tough On Issue

The heart of the plan involves bolstering, to the tune of $262 million
a year, the current strategies in the war on drugs.

RICHMOND -- Republican George Allen promised to bring a new fervor to
the war on drugs Monday if he is elected to the U.S. Senate, and he
accused Democrats, including incumbent Sen. Charles Robb, of failing
to bring "moral authority" to anti-crime efforts.

"The Clinton-Gore-Robb crew has brought no moral authority whatsoever
to this issue. This simply has not been a priority," Allen said after
outlining his anti-crime agenda to a group of Richmond business
boosters. "I haven't detected any resolve or any strong leadership or
any moral authority or effort whatsoever to make this a front and
center issue ... If you don't have that sincere, credible passion and
leadership to do it, it simply won't happen."

In contrast, Allen said he would support anti-drug efforts with the
same verve he demonstrated as governor when he abolished parole.

Allen's anti-drug proposals rely on current programs, which he said he
would bolster at a cost of at least $262 million a year. The bulk of
that amount would go toward increasing the number of federal drug
agents patrolling the nation's borders and giving them better
detection equipment, a proposal that is already being considered by
Congress.

The Republican also proposed a new Project Drug Exile, modeled on
Virginia's get-tough approach on illegal guns, to hire additional
prosecutors and law enforcement agents. He called for doubling the
mandatory minimum sentence for selling drugs to minors and increasing
penalties for powder cocaine, Ecstasy and methamphetamines.

Allen proposed allowing faith-based organizations to apply for grants
to combat youth drug use through prevention and treatment. Those
grants are currently available. Finally, Allen called for establishing
a National Council on Drug Awareness to educate children about the
dangers of drugs.

Jim Mulhall, Robb's campaign manager, noted that Allen voted against
many of the programs he is now touting when the Republican was a
member of the U.S. House of Representatives in the early 1990s.
Mulhall was referring to the 1991 Crime Bill, which Allen opposed
because it required waiting periods before firearms purchases. The
bill would not have affected Virginia anyway, Allen staffers said,
because the state has an instant background check system.

For decades, Congress has poured billions of dollars into anti-drug
programs without getting a handle on the problem, observers say.

"We spend a lot of dollars but we're spending it in the wrong places,"
said Jenni Gainsborough, spokeswoman for the Campaign for an Effective
Crime Policy, a nonpartisan coalition of elected leaders and criminal
justice officials trying to depoliticize the debate on crime. "There's
always more money for more prisons and there's never enough for treatment."

Although politicians, like Allen, are starting to talk more about
treatment, their proposals still give more money to costly efforts to
reduce the flow of drugs into the country. As long as there is demand,
there will be drugs to satisfy that demand, Gainsborough said, noting
that illegal drugs are commonly found in what are supposed to be
strictly controlled environments in federal and state prisons.

Gainsborough said most cities have waiting lists for people wanting
substance abuse treatment, and one of the biggest needs is for
addicted women who have children. Allen's speech Monday emphasized the
importance of protecting children from drugs.

Gainsborough said most of the treatment programs available are not
residential, even though those are the ones found to have the highest
success rate.

Allen said he would leave it up to state and local governments to
decide how to spend grants intended for treatment programs.

After his speech, Allen declined to discuss reports that Robb attended
parties in Virginia Beach in the late 1980s where cocaine was used. A
federal drug probe investigated at least 10 people who attended
parties where Robb was present. Robb denied ever knowing that cocaine
was being used at the parties and there is no evidence that he used
the drug.

When asked, Allen said he has never used any illegal drug, including
marijuana.

"I'll never say I've never been exposed to it, but I've never smoked
it," he said when pressed about marijuana. 
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