Pubdate: Sat, 05 Nov 2011 Source: Wisconsin State Journal (WI) Copyright: 2011 Madison Newspapers, Inc. Contact: http://host.madison.com/wsj/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/506 Author: Todd Olson LEGALIZE DRUGS TO SAP POWER OF CARTELS How low can drug cartels sink? I thought the worst was when I heard about drug dealers making meth in strawberry and grape flavors to lure children in grade school to use drugs. Now the cartels are using 11- and 12-year-olds to move the drugs around, calling them "expendables." The war on drugs has never worked. The only way to end the cartels' reign of death and addiction is to legalize and tax drugs. Use the taxes to pay off national debt and the cost of treatment for addicts. Our nation's prisons are warehouses for drug and alcohol offenders. It takes a lot more money to build prisons than treatment centers. Take the power away from the cartels and give it to the people. The time is now to take back our streets and neighborhoods. Legalize and tax drugs to build treatment centers for the addicts. Once the profit is gone, the cartels will be, too. /--- Todd Olson, Lodi/ - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom