Angels Camp, CA…Open letter to Assemblyman Norman Waters in the summer of 1985: I read your recent letter concerning the Tri County Narcotics Task Force with great interest. While you correctly point out the economic and human costs associated with drug abuse and that the problem of drug abuse is increasing, you fail to conclude that our current government policies of longstanding have failed. Your suggested response of greater coercion and intimidation within the policing power of the state will as surely fail as the policing power has failed to date to control drug abuse.

You point out with a sense of endorsement how some law enforcement agencies and school administrations have implemented the following policies:

a) Planted undercover police officers in classrooms;
b) Students taken from class and handcuffed;
c) Cars and school lockers have been opened;
d) Students arrested on campus; and
e) Parents called to stationhouses to post bail in amounts of up to $25,000.

I asked our local Sheriff during Board proceedings if these type policies would be pursued by the Task Force, and no response was forthcoming. If these are the policies to be implemented, I assure you I shall only redouble my efforts to abolish the Task Force. These type policies are abhorrent to any concept of liberty or constitutional guarantees against government intrusions.

I also strongly disagree with your assertions that putting dope pushers out of business will cut down on the problems among our young people and cut down on drug related crimes. As you diminish the number of drug pushers, you shall only drive the price higher which shall result in more, not less, drug related crimes and as the price goes higher our young people will only be exposed to drugs with greater contaminates and more impurities. We shall not repeal the laws of economics. As long as a profitable demand exists, other individuals will become pushers to meet that demand. I firmly believe the drug abuse problem will only be minimized through some form of legalization, thus removing the exorbitant profits, and an educational effort highlighting the negative health consequences.

I would also take strong exception to your assertion that your program will not cost myself or other law-abiding taxpayers one cent. In Calaveras County the justice system (Sheriff, D.A., Public Defender, Courts, Jail, and Probation) consumes approximately 45% of general fund revenues. I expect this percentage shall increase significantly for the 1985-86 fiscal year. Your program only addresses reimbursing the Sheriff’s Department which consumes approximately 1/3 of the justice system costs. The remaining costs shall be borne by the taxpayers of Calaveras County.
I believe that residents of all counties in California would like a program to reduce drug related crimes and drug abuse. Again, drug related crimes are due to high prices which are totally a consequence of placing drugs in an illegal classification, and, again, the proper program to minimize drug abuse is education, not coercion and intimidation.

Sincerely,
Thomas M. Tryon
Supervisor, District 4
Calaveras County

“I wish it were possible to obtain a single amendment to our Constitution. I would be willing to rely on that alone for the reduction of the administration of our government to the genuine principles of its Constitution; I mean an additional article, taking from the government the power of borrowing.”

~Thomas Jefferson, November 26, 1798