Comments on: Councilor AND Czar

By: Tam

Tam — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 01:12:41 +0000

Cy, buddy, chill. I simply see that a strict enforcement mentality, warehousing addicts in penal institutions (with other addicts), without the benefit of solid rehabilitation opportunities (the long term kind) is pointless. Using the drug is certainly a choice. Unfortunately for the addict, ONE bad decision can end in a lifetime of addiction, prostitution, loss of home, family, health, freedom, all because there is no alternative but prison or county jail. Oh, you can hit the Gooding Center if you have 6000 dollars. But unlike other states who have learned some things about the real costs of methamphetamine specifically, Idaho simply seems satisfied to build more prisons, bigger jails, send prisoners out of state, etc. I am all for law enforcement…I just think it’s a hugely ineffective way to deal with addiction. Most law enforcement officers with whom I am acquainted are long on enforcement and short on social work…not compassion, mind you, but it’s easy to become a little callous over time. Perhaps a little attention to the treatment end (not just detox)would be beneficial. Methinks thou dost protest too much.

By: CYCLOPS

CYCLOPS — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 23:39:19 +0000

Tam, just exactly what IS a “cop mentality”? Drugs are an insidious addition to our culture, but they have been in virtually every culture in the history of this rock we live on. That doesn’t make them right, or beneficial, or the lack of logic involved with the ” lack of understanding and the holistic approach that will allow us to advance”. A cop is simply a person in society that has chosen to take employment enforcing the laws that we make up. There is no mentality change that takes place, other than to try and stay alive, when they put on the uniform. Simply some people doing their job.
At the risk of sounding simplistic, drugs are a “chosen activity”. Period! There is a decision to take part in an activity that society has deemed illegal. Once that decision has been made, the end is pre-determined. When more members of the society take drugs than don’t, the culture goes into decline and eventually disappears.
Unfortunately that is not pontificating, just history.

By: T.J.

T.J. — Sun, 16 Jul 2006 20:28:30 +0000

I don’t like the term “drug czar” either…it makes me think he is pushing drugs, not fighting them. Who thought up this stupid term and why does it keep getting used?

By: Tam

Tam — Sun, 16 Jul 2006 16:39:24 +0000

As long as we take a “cop” mentality (compound that with corrections background) to the problem we will continue to get exactly what we have. The lack of understanding and wholistic approach will keep us from progressing and will likely enable H & W to do what they have been doing; nothing. Unless you count foster care placements and then we can debate on the effectiveness. This is a not so cleverly disguised means to beef up a retirement and pay a boatload for gladhanding.

By: Sisyphus

Sisyphus — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 13:31:22 +0000

Yes Bert, because of the easy access to the raw material (also manufactured in foriegn countries like India)large drug labs in Mexico produce large quantities for export to the US. According to the program I cite the meth drug trade and manufacturing is controlled by the Mexican drug cartels but depending on the access to the raw material ephedrine much of the manufacturing goes on right here in the ol’ US of A via small surreptitious labs. There is far too much detail to post here and I strongly urge everyone to watch the program.

Yes, the problem is international but as we accomplished with the quaalude problem (also controlled by the Mexican cartels) we can limit the cartels’ access to the raw material. Coordinate that with making it difficult to by cold medicine here in bulk and we have a stranglehold on the cartels’ ability to make it cheap and easy.

By: bikeboy

bikeboy — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 13:12:29 +0000

Good comments by the cynic. Regarding self-medicating… for all of recorded history, people have self-medicated. For some reason, we seem to enjoy altering our consciousness in one way or another. (Even very young kids love to spin ’round and ’round until they’re falling-down dizzy.) Problems arise when we’re dizzy and running over each other, stealing to buy our medication, spending the paycheck on meds instead of food for the family, etc. And… I’ve always had problems with the “czar” title, too… I’m glad you brought it up. Does it say “Idaho Drug Czar” on Tibbs’ business cards, or is that just an informal moniker, that wasn’t very well chosen?

Based on the story in this morning’s Statesman, the next mayoral election may turn into a referendum on drinking a social glass of wine. Evidently Tibbs had a drink at a party on the night Matthew Jones got shot, and afterwards drove a police car to the scene. Bieter is rippin’ into him for exhibiting such poor judgment. He shoulda taken a taxi.

(If I had Tibbs’ ear, I’d tell him that the state should relax our collective sphincters a bit on use/abuse of deadly reefer by the citizenry. THAT battle has been lost. Yet hundreds of prison cells are occupied by marijuana violators, costing the taxpayers millions. I’ve known a few marijuana users over the years, both casual tokers and chronic users. They’re essentially harmless, except arguably to themselves. I’d much rather see our tax dollars and manpower focused on abusers of meth, opiates, etc. – the truly-dangerous abusers.)

By: boisecynic

boisecynic — Fri, 14 Jul 2006 11:48:16 +0000

My 2 cents here;

Cent 1) That the abuse of meth is a problem, is an easy argument to make. The difficult problem to address is the “why” question. Why do people feel the need to “self-medicate?” Is it because visiting a doctor, getting a perscription and then buying those legal drugs is so expensive?

Cent 2) Why the word “Czar?” This reeks of hard-line Soviet authoritarianism. The same people who want English as the national language are quick to use the Russian word “czar” when it suits their press release purpose. What’s next, the freedom of speech “SS” or the gay sex “Gestapo?”

By: Joe moran

Joe moran — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 23:28:17 +0000

Congratulations to Jim Tibbs who deserves to be amply rewarded for his years of service to the community. Perhaps his appoitment will highlight the states refusal to cooperate with City and County officials in establishing a much needed de-tox center.

The fact that this city does not have one is a real insult to our citizens.As for a potential conflict between tibbs and Bieter over who will be the next mayor…It’s hard to beat a Czar but it’s even better for the best man to win….

By: Bert Farber

Bert Farber — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 20:26:52 +0000

Sisyphus:
My understanding is most meth now brought into Idaho via California from Mexico.

By: Sisyphus

Sisyphus — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 18:11:26 +0000

I appreciate the political angle on the post and there is plenty to ruminate over. But the underlying issue of meth in our society is reaching epidemic proportions. It is one of our greatest social ills, clogging the courts with criminal cases and with determining what to do the children of meth abusers. Tibbs role will be to stick his finger in the dike. Oddly enough there is a magic bullet. The primary source of the raw material for meth is a handful of manufacturers of ephedrine. They have resisted the government's efforts to restrict their sales to legitimate buyers because they make too much money when they sell to the drug cartels. Remember quaaludes in the 70s. You don't hear about them anymore because the raw material manufacturers voluntarily complied with government efforts to restrict sales. But not with the meth trade. Pharmaceutical companies actively lobby Congress to stop government efforts. For more detail go to this informative Frontline documentary on the subject: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/meth/ Tibbs will merely be treating the consequences of meth abuse and unfortunately his job will give him little ammunition to do battle with the real culprits causing the problem.