SAN FRANCISCO MAYOR CALLS WAR ON DRUGS A TOTAL FAILURE

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KCBS, 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. "You want to get serious, seriously
serious about crime and violence end this war on drugs."

The mayor maintained local jails are overcrowded with people
incarcerated for drug offenses, taking up room that could be used to
hold more violent criminal offenders. He said violent criminals with
lengthy felony records are being turned loose, too often. . .

In a ten-minute tirade about the drug war's failure, Newsom told
reporters that most politicians - including those in his own party -
just don't have the guts to admit the obvious.

"It's laughable that anyone could look at themselves with a straight
face and say 'oh, we're really succeeding.' I mean it's comedy. And as I
say, shame on my party, the democratic party, because they don't have
the courage of their private thoughts, because we don't want to appear
weak on this topic," Newsom said.

The mayor said the 'politicizing' of the illegal drug use issue prevents
a discussion about real solutions to the drug epidemic. . .

The mayor insisted, however, that he wasn't calling for the legalization
of all drugs - just a recognition that the current approach isn't
working.

"I'm not saying (legalization). I'm saying get real about it," he
explained. "So what does that mean? Well, it means a lot of things. It
means this war on drugs is an abject failure."

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