Your headline story, (New chief: Barre to keep up pressure on drug dealers) exemplifies the need of Prosecuting Attorney Robert Sands' call for an end to the expensive (and futile) war on drugs. Now, Comrade Bombardier, a drug "warrior" wants to escalate this civil war, calling for more money for his special interests, with as many police officers as "the taxpayers can afford." Then, he goes on to say he will "find something for them to do." He even goes as far as encouraging citizens to turn in fellow citizens so he can perpetuate his costly needs. [continues 99 words]
Touche B.K Stegeman, Your Views, Feb. 19, on the medical marijuana issue. First of all, the issue of Judge Cashman is much more involved than what you hear on The O'Reilly Factor. You have heard piecemeal bits of a larger issue and echoed an opinion without truly knowing the facts. Get your facts straight! The issue has been alleviated with the legislature offering rehabilitation along with more incarceration. Furthermore Vermont's jurisprudence, or lack there of, has nothing to do with the Steve Kubby issue. This is really a California constitutional issue with the peripheral issue of citizen oppression. Your attempt to vilify me is very revealing. [continues 136 words]
Where is your journalistic integrity? It is unbelievable that a man is in jail and possibly dying of kidney failure or worse, and you print a story, Journal, Jan. 29, quoting a police guard who says Steve Kubby is "looking fine." Is that because he is behind bars? Is the officer a doctor or some type of medical professional? Have any tests been conducted confirming Mr. Kubby is experiencing blood in his urine or hypertension from high blood pressure? Has anyone checked with his doctors to see what they say? [continues 119 words]
I read with interest your story on "the three leading candidates" and their feelings about increasing the police presence because of the war on drugs, in "Candidates asked about public safety" in your Sept. 13 edition. Too bad there wasn't a Libertarian present to bring some common sense to the diatribe. Prisons and jails are overcrowding because a police state, "prohibition" mentality allows it. At what expense? The flow of drugs cannot be stopped even in a prison situation. These drug "warriors" could put a prison wall around Rutland and bring total tyranny to the citizens within and still not stop the flow of drugs. At what expense are we willing to continue this madness? The war on drugs is as futile as the war in Vietnam. [continues 88 words]
Congratulations to the Vermont House Judiciary Committee for its compassionate vote on the Medical Marijuana bill. Representative Carl Haas, R-Rutland has been quoted as being opposed to medical marijuana use. That is no surprise, as he is part of the Rutland contingency, continually pushing "hate bills" which double prison rates for drug users. That archaic belief will never slow the flow or use of drugs. Haas continues to support bills designed to clog the courts, build new jails and lock up more Vermonters because he feels they don't benefit from the medicinal properties of marijuana. [continues 262 words]
There was a bit of irony in recent stories about the proposed closing of the Woodstock jail. I particularly enjoyed Mayor Cassarinois statement (at a legislative breakfast) that Rutland City has been getting tough on crime and the state just iletis them out the back door.i The Rutland City delegation last year sponsored the most hateful bill to surface in Vermont in years. The proposed law would have doubled federal sentencing for drugs. The present system has been incarcerating people for 30-plus years and the drugs confiscated equal less than 1 percent of what is out there. [continues 144 words]
Poultney, Vermont [end]
