SF Mayor: End The War On Drugs And Crime Will Drop By 70 Percent

CBS 5 San Francisco:

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom proclaimed the nation's war on drugs a total failure and insisted the crime rate would go down if the government spent money on treatment as opposed to jailing people with drug problems.

"If you want to get serious, if you want to reduce crime by 70% in this country overnight, end this war on drugs," he told reporters at City Hall on Thursday. "You want to get serious, seriously serious about crime and violence end this war on drugs."

Read the whole story: CBS 5 San Francisco

Comments

[getoffmedz]

It's amazing to see how many of these "Conservative" Commenters are recovering drug addicts.

LOL

[Horus]

Recovering drug addicts crack me up.

[pangardenguru]

well all drugs should not be lumped together as one thing either. Heroin should not be legal but pot????? good god, this is the 21st century. pot never hurt anyone.

[rabun666]

I don't think all pot should be legalized but decriminalized.

[pa104inf]

I am a conversative Republican who does agree with legalizing drug use just like I think that prostitution should be legalized and regulated. Here is my philosophy, if enough people want something, and are willing to pay enough for it, somebody will provide it. The only problem with the author's philosophy is by his logic let's legalize murder, drunk driving and we reduce crime even more. The logic is just plain stupid. It would be more logical to base a change to the law on the fact that resources are being expended on a futile effort and could be better utilized in other areas. Also, a change to the law would bring an end to the big drug cartels as well as eliminating drug dealers in minority neighborhoods. I have to point one thing out though, for those who attack the Pharmacy industry, who do you think will be manufacturing and distributing these recreational products?

Steorn the solution to Global Warming can be found at http://www.steorn.com

[getoffmedz]

pa104inf - concepts like those advocated by Steorn are nothing new. What is new the development is not coming from within the U.S., Russia or China.

The oil companies have killed many projects which do not relay on petroleum products, compete with oil or do not pollute.

Thanks for the link.

Hopefully, this trend will continue?

[Nyland8]

Well, let's see. If we reduce crime by 70%, then we'll only need 30% of the police forces we now have. And we'll only need 30% of the prisons and all the people from guards to social workers to doctors to cafeteria staff that work in them. And we can then do away with 70% of the lawyers that defend them, not to mention judges, court clerks, etc. ...

... and with all those people unelemployed ...

??

... crime will no doubt go up.

Sounds like a vicious cycle to me.

((:-)>

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[BushBites]

That's almost a parody of conservative thinking.

If cops lose their jobs they'll become crooks?

First of all, the cops will unfortunately still be very busy, only now they'll be chasing real criminals.

Second of all, not everybody turns to crime when faced with a career change.

[getoffmedz]

BushBites - great Comment.

Enforcing drug laws against users is easy action for police.

It would be good to see for a change policemen becoming proficient as deterrents for crimes against people and property?

Please bear in mind, this "War on Drugs" supports a multi-billion dollar business of lawyers, rehab clinics, bail bondsmen, prison guards and also serves politicians who get elected by exploiting these anti-drug issues.

[Nyland8]

??

B&Es, smash and grabs, convenience store stickups, shake downs, workplace theft, purse snatchings and a large percentage of prostitution are all drug related crimes. So are turf wars, drug-related gang violence resulting in drive-by shooting, etc. The high cost/high profit from addictive street drugs requires too much money for the simple, minimum wage earner ... or someone who can't even hold a job. These are the types of crimes that will be diminished by 70% if drugs are legalized. And these activities constitute a huge percentage of what police combat on a daily basis. Reduce the crimes and you reduce the police ... and the entire supporting criminal/justice system down the line.

Right now, according to the law, drug users ARE real criminals. Moreover, the "real criminals" who violate the public trust, the "white collar" criminals i.e. the Ken Lays of the world and the corrupt politicians, are never going to be caught by blue coats on the beat. It's too sophisticated a crime and outside of their purview.

No ... all police will not become criminals. But some % will, as will some % of every other currently gainfully employed goup of persons when they lose their jobs.

We're talking about several million people, you know?

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[Vajara]

If we are serious about improving society by dropping the "war" on drugs, we will also have to investigate and put the real drug lords and lobbyists in jail--the big Pharmas, the insurance industry and psychiatry--all are promoters of dangerous drugs and cause great harm to our society and our global community.

[Nyland8]

Dream on, Viagra

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[Jimmyboyo]

already happening. One state is suing makers of Oxycotin = Hillbilly heroin

[springsm]

This country has NEVER been serious about this so called "war on drugs". Right now the fight is to keep south of the border folks from coming into this country. And I don't mean..make them legal..the drugs or dealers.

[Nyland8]

Yes ... my only point, and the point of my pun, is that nobody is going to put big Pharma behind bars. You can have judgements against them, you can find them criminally libel and fine them, but you won't stop their business, you won't stop their profits and you won't put anyone behind bars.

After all, they make legal drugs that make your dick hard. That's a pretty big constituency.

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[LITU]

Finally a politician with balls and he has to come from San Francisco. Go figure!

[getoffmedz]

LITU - And what's wrong with San Francisco?

[drumz]

So are you connotating that people from SF have no balls? Is this some backhanded gay slur? I'm from San Francisco (hetro) and I can tell you that it is one of the tougher towns in the country and if you think that just because there's a gay population that they won't kick your ass I suggest you take a stroll down Castro and call-out a few guys and you will wish you weren't so stupid.

[jake106]

I've got an even better idea! Get rid of ALL the laws, and crime would go down by 100%! Then the world would be a perfect place!

[BuyRubles]

The war on drugs is not a law

[BushBites]

The Repubs like to keep drug laws on the books because it keeps the price of street drugs high and, consequently, keeps the profits fat for the terrorist-allied drug cartels.

With their political fortunes dwindling, the Repubs want another 9/11 so bad they can taste it.

[BushBites]

Yeah, violent crime really shot up when prohibition ended.

Oh wait......

[A Meat Beetle]

That's the stupidest thing I've read all day. However, I've only been awake for about an hour--the day is young.

[Ammobob]

Absolutely! Legalize most drugs, tax the 'crap' out of them, regulate the trade thru government mandates, return the money to treatment and prevention. I'm 'down' with it.

[Galvestonians for Dr. Ron Paul]

MEE TOO!!!
:)

[Jimmyboyo]

exactly.

The founding fathers grew hemp

The jews wrote aout pot as medicine 100's of years before jesus myth supposed happened.

Regulate it like alcohol. Liscense fees and taxes would bring in so much money to the gov while cutting wasted money spent busting people who have a small amount of pot to relax. Treat users who drive as DUI's, treat meth etc as bootleggers like bootlegging alcohol is ilegal. etc

[Warmglobe]

Yeah make everything legal and the crime rate will drop to zero....th­anks for your intelligent ideas..now go back and plan the next parade for people with wide stances ok?

[Jezdukowski]

My, what a witty retort - I hope you're saving some material for your stand-up act.

[MWAnderson]

fucking idiot...bu­t at least your consistent.

[Grunty1]

Of course he is consistent: all the trolls are saying the same exact thing in this thread. They obviously got a memo from their superiors.

[drricklippin]

Good for the Mayor. Other politicians need to speak up!

Related story is the state of KY suing Purdue Pharmaceutical company for the "drug pushing" of Oxycontin.

These Big PhRMAS CEOs are the REAL 21st century drug traffickers and the sales reps their pushers.

While we are legalizing pot let's ILLEGALIZE
the marketing practices of Big PhRMA

Deal?

Dr. Rick Lippin
http://medicalcrises.blogspot.com

[MrBluebird]

fyi, Perdue is the pharma, Purdue is the university.

[drricklippin]

Thxs MrBluebird

My apologies to Purdue Univrsity

Rick Lippin

[Jericho]

Stop the war in Iraq and "terrorism" will drop by 70 percent as well.

[CyrusBeaucephus]

ha ha that would be TOO EASY! they'll never even consider it

[Nyland8]

Point taken.

If we stop the war against poverty we'll ...
.. oh, wait. Despite the rhetoric, we've never really fired the first salvo in that one.

Well, if we stop the war against obesity, we could all stand to benefit from a new self image.

(Fat chance.)

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[Novista]

A few factoids: since Nixon unleashed this unwinnable war, it has cost the U.S. one trillion dollars.

Despite the administration claims yesterday that they've 'turned a corner' on the cocaine trade, uh huh, that was only PR to sell their #$1.5 billion handout to Calderon.

The international drug trade is now a $500 billion industry. Overall, quality is better and prices lower.

Not all drug users are abusers. Or addicts.

Legalising drugs and taxing them like tobacco and alcohol would (a) remove the financial incentive for the cartels. Oh, some polticians would not like it as (b) they're on the take. As well as police etc.

The likelihood of legalisation would probably see a decrease in drug use. One of the attractions is, for some, getting away with breaking the stupid law.

Finally, any wowser that mistrusts 'other people' is probably projecting his own inner weakness ...

[NoFactsJustTruth]

Careful, Mayor, with the administration spending 3 BILLION a year on their new "narcoterrorism" toys, the drug war is about to go high tech and you're stepping on very long LOBBY toes.

[NoFactsJustTruth]

Speaking of which, just what the hell IS narcterrorism, anyway.

If you don't accept your prozac, but instead smoke some weed, you're damaging OUR economy and therefore.­..a terrorist?

An admitted reach, but it's easy to see that pharmaceutical lobbies would want such a definition.

[vippy]

The war on drugs has a big lobby behind it.
We know it won't work but the powers to be
make too much money to adopt this policy.
The US, with the most people incarcerated, is
shameful and shows how regressive their standards are.
I said this for years, legalize marijuana and
be done with it. Being for it I have had no
intention of ever trying it and will ever change
my mind. But there is no hope for this country,
when politicians put an age limit on drinking
and think crime will be reduced. What backward
thinking is that. Glad I was born in Europe and
no I don't drink alcohol.

[BuyRubles]

you are missing out on an essential part of life.

you can't even take a vacation somewhere and *cough* *puff* *puff* *give*

[joja]

Actually, the mayor's probably being conservative in his estimates about the drop in crime rates -- it's more likely to be around 90% if it's done right.

I've never understood how our society can tolerate the drugs of religion, alcohol, tobacco, and anything Big Pharma gets a cut of, while throwing people in jail for using the drug(s) of their choice, which don't happen to be controlled by those groups.

The war on drugs is based on racism, which is something Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton seem to never address -- they just toe the official propaganda line, but then, they're "Reverends," so it figures. Religion doesn't want any more competition than it's already got in the coping-with-life arena, and that's all drugs are, that's all they do -- help people deal with life in their own way.

It's wrong to put people in prison for that.

It's obscene and barbaric.