Pubdate: Mon, 16 Sep 2002 Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA) Copyright: 2002 Hearst Communications Inc. Contact: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/388 Author: Tom O'Connell DRUG WAR HURTS Editor -- Your trenchant analysis of school testing scores sees through hype and confusion to point out what it really comes down to: poverty. It's not difficult to see the important role played by our drug war in the transfer of wealth from the lowest rungs of the economic ladder to the very highest. Increased policing, prison construction and a greatly expanded prison population have all siphoned money away from education and health care while at the same time serving to keep the targeted populations mired in poverty. TOM O'CONNELL San Mateo - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart