Pubdate: Sun, 04 May 2003 Source: Clarion-Ledger, The (MS) Copyright: 2003 The Clarion-Ledger Contact: http://www.clarionledger.com/about/letters.html Website: http://www.clarionledger.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/805 Author: Anita T. Mayfield FUND MEDICAID, CUT 'WAR' ON DRUGS This is in regard to your April 20 editorial ("Medicaid: With tight budget, what do you cut?). I have this message for our elected lawmakers: Stop sending non-violent drug offenders to prison! Save our prison space for violent criminals. The money we spend on the miserably failed War On Drugs would give Mississippi many millions of badly needed dollars to spend, not only for our Medicaid patients, but for several other deserving programs as well. We need Medicaid. So why don't lawmakers at least try "cutting the fat" where it needs cutting? Anita T. Mayfield Nettleton - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart