Pubdate: Fri, 03 May 2002
Source: Minden Press-Herald (LA)
Contact:  2002 Minden Press-Herald.
Website: http://www.press-herald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1803
Author: Theresa Gardner
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.)

GOV. FOSTER MAKES BIG MISTAKE

There is an old saying that goes "it takes a village to raise a child." If 
that is true, and I personally believe it is, then the state of Louisiana 
is about to drop the ball - big time.

Last year the state budgeted $3.9 million for the DARE program to be used 
from August 31 through May 1.

As of this May the funding had been cut back to zero.

What could be more important than our children? Apparently Governor Mike 
Foster does not believe them to be a top priority.

The DARE program touches 370,115 students annually in Louisiana alone. I 
have been thinking about this a lot since I first wrote a story last week 
about the issue.

The state pays around $10 per year, per student for the DARE program 
statewide. With local agencies and communities covering the majority of the 
cost and not the state.

But the state pays over $21 a day to house a state prisoner--I said per 
day! What's wrong with this picture?

Are we going to wait until our children get involved with drugs and become 
another statistic, and then be willing to pay to have them housed in a 
state prison?

I remember when my son Michael went through the DARE program at Shongaloo. 
I became aware of much of the drug problems, at the same time he did by 
reading the materials together, and listening to what he had learned from 
the DARE officer at school.

When I was in the fifth grade we didn't have anything like the DARE 
program. Back then we learned everything from television, our older 
siblings (boy was I in trouble) and from our friends.

The state of Louisiana has progressed since the 1980s when I was in high 
school, (very early 1980s), but now it seems that we are taking a giant 
step backwards, and at what cost--our children literally are our most 
valuable asset.

The children are our future, isn't that what we say? I mean we hear it 
every day, Whitney Houston even sang about it--are we all lying, is it just 
a catchy cliche, or do we really believe it? In my opinion, it's kind of 
like the weather. People are always complaining about it, but nobody ever 
does anything to change it. The weather is one thing, we know we can't do 
anything about, but because we live in a democratic society that says if we 
don't like the way things are being run, we can voice our opinions and make 
the necessary changes.

This affects us all, even if your children are grown, or if you don't have 
children of your own, or maybe you are a child yourself (you have a voice, 
too) if you don't want to see the DARE program become a thing of the past 
in our state, you better act fast, by contacting State Representative Jean 
Doerge at 732 Main St. Minden, 71055.

As a resident of Louisiana it is our responsibility to do what we feel is 
best for our Louisiana kids. If you don't think the DARE program works, 
just talk to some of the officers who work with our children daily, Jerry 
Moore, Sergeant Debbie Haynes, Lieutenant Keith Banta or Lieutenant Julie 
Harman just to name a few. I am sure they would be happy to share some of 
their experiences.

If you are not willing to help keep our state running smooth, don't 
complain when it starts to fall apart.
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MAP posted-by: Ariel