Letter: Drug czar doing his job

Monday, Sept. 23, 2002 | 8:50 a.m.

In reference to Emily Richmond's Sept. 19 article about Billy Rogers, a leader of Nevada's ballot initiative to legalize marijuana, being incensed that drug czar John Walters is coming to Nevada on taxpayer dollars:

If an appointed official's job is to rid our country of illegal drugs, and a state has a ballot initiative to allow its residents to obtain and use a large quantity of an illegal drug, wouldn't it fall under his job description to fight the initiative?

Being upset at that is almost as ludicrous as Mr. Rogers' statement that "Nevadans don't like the government telling them what to do." How would Billy Rogers know what Nevadans like? He's a paid lobbyist from Washington, D.C., who was sent here to capitalize on Nevada residents' sympathies.

Why else would his group still be touting "medical marijuana" when that was passed in 2000? Go back to your own neighborhood, Mr. Rogers!

ERIN BREEN

Editor's note: The writer is director of Safe Community Partnership, an organization that seeks to reduce traffic injuries and fatalities in Clark County. The group also opposes Question 9, the ballot initiative to legalize marijuana.