Pubdate: Sat, 22 Apr 2006 Source: Knoxville News-Sentinel (TN) Copyright: 2006 The Knoxville News-Sentinel Co. Contact: http://www.knoxnews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/226 Author: Rev. Timothy W. Rennels OUTLAWING SHRUBBERY WASTE OF TIME, MONEY In the race to keep their names in the paper and score points for re-election, our legislators sometimes do some strange things. Take Sen. Tim Burchett's war on shrubs as an example: Burchett and Rep. Parkey Strader have decided to waste the public's time and money attempting to criminalize possession of landscape trees and shrubbery because they're desperately afraid someone might try to get "high." The list of plants includes at least one that's listed as edible by the University of Florida agricultural department and several that are used to make prescription medications. Some of these plants have been around here longer than we have and have never been a problem. Why are we wasting time and money now? Don't they think the police and the courts have enough to do? How much more time and money do they plan to waste if we give them another two years? THE REV. TIMOTHY W. RENNELS Knoxville - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman