Pubdate: Mon, 07 Apr 2014
Source: Chico Enterprise-Record (CA)
Copyright: 2014 Paul Ellcessor
Contact:  http://www.chicoer.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/861
Note: Letters from newspaper's circulation area receive publishing priority
Author: Paul Ellcessor
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n206/a09.html

CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS KEEP WAR ON DRUGS ALIVE

I agree with letter writer Garry Cooper's call for banning lobbying by
prison and police unions. However, they aren't the only groups
interested in maintaining our draconian and unenforceable drug laws.

Republic Reports website ranks police unions around the country as
number one in contributions, followed closely by the pharmaceutical
corporations, who certainly don't want marijuana legalized and taxed.

Republic Reports goes on to say private prisons corporations "make
millions by incarcerating people who have been imprisoned for drug
crimes, including marijuana. ... Prison companies have spent millions
bankrolling pro-drug war politicians and have used secretive front
groups, like the American Legislative Exchange Council, to pass harsh
sentencing requirements for drugs."

These same prison companies are also profiting from incarcerating
illegal aliens.

Then there are alcohol and beer companies. They recently spent large
sums, like the California Beer and Beverage Distributors committee, to
stop the legalization of marijuana by voters.

All of the above are playing by the current rules, which are at the
root of the problem: how our elections are funded. We need to publicly
fund our elections instead of our current system of legalized bribery.
A prime example is playing out right now in Sacramento.

- - Paul Ellcessor, Durham 
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D