cannabisnews.com: White House Sends Money To Fight Pot Growing





White House Sends Money To Fight Pot Growing
Posted by CN Staff on August 25, 2006 at 13:59:05 PT
By Michael Doyle, McClatchy Newspapers 
Source: SHNS
Washington, DC -- The White House is sending money and some momentary manpower to reinforce the fight against California marijuana growers.When national drug czar John Walters lands in Fresno on Tuesday, he'll be bringing a commitment of an additional $2.2 million in law enforcement funding. The money will include $100,000 grants for Fresno, Tulare and Kern counties, as well as more support for a coordinated anti-pot campaign.
He'll also be bringing the extra attention that comes along with the job of directing the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. That, too, has value for local law enforcement officials, even though Walters lacks the star power of some of his predecessors."It's all part of our effort to take back the public lands from the marijuana growers," said Bill Ruzzamenti, head of the Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.The Sierra Nevada region is a particular focus, as investigators track the producers who cultivate commercial gardens amid the area's national treasures. Last year, Ruzzamenti said, 70 percent of the 2 million marijuana plants seized in the greater Central Valley area were found on public lands."The problem is getting worse," said Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Visalia. "There are so many mountains and valleys and peaks."Reflecting the problem and the federal response, Nunes met this week with Tulare County officials who pressed for more government assistance. This includes securing $300,000, currently included in the Senate's Interior Department spending bill, for helping the county chase marijuana growers off of public lands."The local officials are trying to nip this before someone gets killed," Nunes said.In this, the federal government plays several roles. Swinging the spotlight may be the simplest.Walters' trip to Fresno and adjoining areas Tuesday and Wednesday will be his second to the region as drug czar. He has a far more subdued profile than some of his predecessors, like retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey and one-time secretary of education William Bennett. Under Walters' watch, the White House has periodically tried to cut funding for the high-intensity drug trafficking area task forces like the one serving the Central Valley.But Walters, who formerly served as Bennett's chief of staff, also has a White House official's inherent ability to help set the public agenda. A news conference Wednesday morning with local prosecutors and drug-fighters will further rivet attention to the public land pot-growing issue.Uncle Sam's money is even more welcome by local officials. It comes in several forms. One is an earmark in an annual appropriations bill, like the $300,000 that Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein secured in the Senate bill for helping the Tulare County Sheriff's Department fight pot on national forest land."The invasion of drug trafficking organizations on federal lands constitutes a danger to visitors, agency employees and fire suppression teams and damages pristine wildlands, requiring intensive restoration," the Senate Appropriations Committee stated in its bill report.The House and Senate still must agree on the final funding total.Another form of federal aid comes through ongoing programs, like the Fresno-based Central Valley HIDTA, which coordinates anti-drug efforts between Sacramento and Bakersfield. When originally formed in 1999, the collaborative effort among federal, state and local agencies focused on methamphetamine.Since then, the Central Valley HIDTA has redirected more attention to marijuana."The number of super labs has gone down precipitously," Ruzzamenti said. At the same time, "the meth producers have decided that there is more money in the cultivation of marijuana, so they have just switched over."Nationwide, Walters' office reported, the number of workers testing positive for methamphetamine has fallen by 45 percent over the past two years. Investigators likewise reported a 30 percent drop since 2004 in meth lab incidents, which could be anything from discovering of an operational lab to uncovering of a lab's dumpsite.Distributed by Scripps-McClatchy Western ServiceSource: SHNS (DC)Author: Michael Doyle, McClatchy Newspapers Published: August 25, 2006Copyright: 2006 Script Howard News ServiceWebsite: http://www.shns.com/Contact: copelandp shns.comCannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
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Comment #15 posted by afterburner on August 27, 2006 at 23:49:25 PT
'Forget your troubles and dance'
Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)
http://www.bobmarley.com/songs/songs.cgi?thembellySung by Bob Marley{
Authors: L. Cogil and Carlton Barrett Description: In "Them Belly Full," the elected Democratic Socialist regime of Prime Minister Michael Manley was advised that the disenfranchised ghetto population was a volatile-and potent-political force. Lyrics:Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na;
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na;
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na;
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na.Them belly full but we hungry.
A hungry mob is a angry mob.
A rain a-fall but the dirt it tough;
A pot a-cook but the food no 'nough.
You're gonna dance to JAH music, dance.
We're gonna dance to JAH music, dance.
Forget your troubles and dance.
Forget your sorrow and dance.
Forget your sickness and dance.
Forget your weakness and dance.
Cost of living get so high,
Rich and poor, they start a cry.
Now the weak must get strong.
They say, "Oh, what a tribulation."Them belly full but we hungry.
A hungry mob is a angry mob.
A rain a-fall but the dirt it tough;
A pot a-cook but the food no 'nough.
We're gonna chuck to JAH music, chuckin'.
We're chuckin' to JAH music, we're chuckin'.A belly full but them hungry.
A angry mob is a angry mob.
A rain a-fall but the dirt it tough;
A pot a-cook but the food no 'nough.A angry man is a angry man.
A rain a-fall but the dirt it tough;
A pot a-cook but the food no 'nough.
(Repeat)
A angry mob is a angry mob.
}
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Comment #14 posted by OverwhelmSam on August 26, 2006 at 10:59:47 PT
Feds Bribe Cops to Bust Marijuana Consumers
Like the federal government is really going to change anything. These pontificators might as well just flush the money down the toilet. It's much more effecient and eliminates the carnage.
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Comment #13 posted by observer on August 26, 2006 at 08:20:31 PT
Skillful ... to destroy
The money will include $100,000 grants for Fresno, Tulare and Kern counties,Um, the "counties" don't get that money, it is salaries for overtime for police. That's what it has come down to. Government, forcibly stealing your money from you (shooting you or jailing you if you resist). Then government uses that money to pay police salaries to use helicopters to try to spy on you from the air.Because of a plant. Then they turn around and (with a straight face) say all that is for your good. And of course, it is "for the children."Notice, God said only one plant was off limits. These bozos have a list a mile long. The government and police pretend they are God, but they act like just devils. They steal, kill, and are skillful to destroy. Jesus has them perfectly pegged as those "Which devour widows' houses, and for a shew make long prayers." 
drugsense news bot ... get the latest drug news, first
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Comment #12 posted by charmed quark on August 26, 2006 at 05:19:59 PT
WO/MANS Cooperative a superlab?
Seems like a lot of their effort recently was shutting down cannabis clubs. Such a threat to law enforcement and the general population. There were all these women in wheelchairs that had to be cuffed to protect them from jumping up and attacking the Feds raiding them. I feel SO much safer.Great job, Brownie, I mean Walters.
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Comment #11 posted by b4daylight on August 26, 2006 at 00:49:41 PT
Really?
"The number of super labs has gone down precipitously," Ruzzamenti said. At the same time, "the meth producers have decided that there is more money in the cultivation of marijuana, so they have just switched over."The reason why they are giving up on the US super lab is cause illegal immagrants population just smuggles it over the border. 
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Comment #10 posted by BGreen on August 25, 2006 at 22:39:20 PT
I can solve the problem for free
Stop seizing the property of people for growing cannabis and they'll stop growing on public land that can't be seized.OK, next problem? :-)The Reverend Bud Green
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Comment #9 posted by E_Johnson on August 25, 2006 at 22:34:10 PT
He made me think of a song
""The problem is getting worse," said Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Visalia. "There are so many mountains and valleys and peaks.""Ain't no mountain high enoughAin't no river wide enoughAin't no valley deep enoughTo keep them from growing their weed WOOOOOOOOOOOO
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Comment #8 posted by kaptinemo on August 25, 2006 at 19:24:17 PT:
WHOSE money?
All that is happening here is what has always happened: the Fed taketh, and then the Fed giveth back ...when it was our money to begin with. (Only now, with inflation, it's worth less than when they stole it from your paycheck) And as to the problems they are having in the parks, they have only themselves to blame, by ratcheting up the penalties for possession and growing, they made it lucrative for organized crime to drive out the Mon & Pop operations. Then with the forfeiture penalties, they made it necessary to grow in the forests. They keep squeezing the trigger, but can't understand why their feet hurt so bad. If they'd only look down, they'd understand they've been shooting themselves in the foot all along. Soooo dumb.
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Comment #7 posted by ekim on August 25, 2006 at 18:46:15 PT
Book a Leap speaker at your next event
Sep 10 06 Henry David Thoreau Unitarian Church 10:00 AM Terry Nelson Stafford Texas USA 
 Not quite Walden Pond, but Speaker Terry Nelson will meet with members of the Henry David Thoreau Unitarian Church. Terry will be talking to church members about the failures of drug prohibition and will offer a viable solution to the problem. Members of different denominations are welcomed to attend. Location: 3945 Greenbriar, Suites D and E. Visit their web site at: http://www.tuuc.org/ Sep 10 06 First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston 01:00 PM Terry Nelson Houston Texas USA 
 Members of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston welcome Speaker Terry Nelson to meet with members of their congreagation to discuss the failures of drug prohibition. Members of other faiths are welcomed to attend. Location: 5200 Fannin. Visit their web site at: http://www.firstuu.org/ Sep 11 06 International County Managers Association N/A Terry Nelson San Antonio Texas USA 
 The International County Managers Association welcomes Speaker Terry Nelson to their 92nd annual event to talk to county managers about the negative impact of America's failed war on drugs. This event is anticipated to bring together over 7000 county managers from around the country and abroad. Location: Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, 200 East Market St. Visit their web site at: www.imca.org. Sep 12 06 The Rise of Paramilitary Police Raids in America 12:00 PM Norm Stamper Washington District of Columbia USA 
 The Cato Institute will hold a policy forum featuring author Radley Balko, Policy Analyst, and Norm Stamper, Seattle Police Chief (Ret.) and author of Breaking Rank: A Top Cop's Exposé of the Dark Side of Policing. Radley and Norm will present "Overkill: The Rise of Paramilitary Police Raids in America". Location: The Cato Institute, 1000 Massachusetts Avenue, NW. 
http://www.leap.cc/events
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Comment #6 posted by mayan on August 25, 2006 at 18:00:09 PT
Lame Brains
"The number of super labs has gone down precipitously," Ruzzamenti said. At the same time, "the meth producers have decided that there is more money in the cultivation of marijuana, so they have just switched over."At best, these drug warriors might succeed in raising the price of cannabis a little. That will just create more growers and "justify" more money for law enforcement.This is so absurd it is just sickening. I want my money back!!!
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Comment #5 posted by Hope on August 25, 2006 at 15:35:50 PT
Then
it's off to a big booze out together...to relax...after a hard's work.
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Comment #4 posted by Hope on August 25, 2006 at 15:33:56 PT
Buying California...
Especially the law enforcement. More toys! More fun...bustin heads! Party!
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Comment #3 posted by Hope on August 25, 2006 at 15:32:35 PT
The more they keep it up...
the more meth addicts they make.
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Comment #2 posted by billos on August 25, 2006 at 15:03:05 PT
               Is this a Threat?
"The local officials are trying to nip this before someone gets killed," Nunes said.
--Geez
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on August 25, 2006 at 14:00:44 PT
Money
How can they afford to send money for something like this?
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