After the first 15 interviews with my brother Police Officer and Detective Howard Wooldridge of Lansing, Michigan (retired) concerning the “War on Drugs”, more and more Americans understand the underpinnings of how the U.S. government protracts a national taxpayer fraud.  How big a fraud?  Taxpayers forked over $1 trillion in 38 years paying for the impotent  “War on Drugs.”  Results?  More drugs available, major drug networks, cheaper drugs and more potent drugs.

“Every so often in newspapers and your local TV newscasts, Americans are treated to a table full of dope, a table covered in guns and a third table showing bundles of cash,” said Officer Howard Wooldridge.  “The local sheriff or narc unit commander boasts about the latest victory in the War on Drugs.   He or she will crow that this latest drug bust will: A) Show the druggies that there is no place to hide in Smithville or Smith County. B) The cops are on the road to a ‘drug-free’ community. C) The cash seized pays for all the units operating costs, thus costing taxpayers nothing. D) This bust really puts a dent in local supplies of illegal drug. 

“After 40 years of such publicity stunts and bravado from cops and prosecutors, the citizens know a circus show when they see it.  When parents were young, they could buy pot, LSD, qualudes, etc., with 1-2 phone calls.  Today their teen offspring can buy pot, heroin or X with 1-2 phone calls—at cheaper prices and much stronger purity.    Every thinking citizen can add up that score and come to the same conclusion as members of LEAP; namely every drug bust, ever dealer going to jail, every seizure made by the policy, DEA or Coast Guard has had zero impact in keeping drugs away from Americans.

“Why is that?  It sure feels good to see all those kilos seized and millions in cash going to the cops and not the bad guys.   The answer is found in your Economics 101 book: supply and demand.   There is a demand for these drugs which creates the supply chain to deliver the product.  Since dealers risk long prison terms or even death to be in the trade, they demand high payment.   Cocaine in Colombia which costs a dollar a gram costs nearly 100 times that in Missouri. 

“Let’s take cocaine as a classic example.   The world consumes roughly 700 kilos of cocaine each year.   According to the feds, the South America region produces somewhere in the ball park of 900 metric tons of cocaine.  They export this to North American and now to European markets.    Why then, produce 200 tons extra?  Simple! Between the US Coast Guard, ICE agents, Border Patrol Agents, your local narc squads & a few lucky busts by street cops --- the cocaine cowboys lose 200 tons.    They over-ship knowing they will lose product between their jungle labs and the streets of the USA and other markets.  

“These exporters run billion dollar companies.  They are not stupid.  In their business model of course they factor in drug busts the same as Wal-mart factors in shoplifting, employee theft and forklift operators knocking over a pallet of mushroom soup.     This is not rocket scientist.  This is a thriving, fantastically profitable business.  The Ochoa brothers want to provide a quality gram of cocaine at the best price possible because they mean happy, repeat customers.   For a great visual on this, see Denzel Washington in ‘American Gangster.’

“What about dealers?  America employs roughly two million drug dealers, 90 percent of whom are part-time.  Each year the Good Guys arrest about 500,000.  It would seem that in about four (4) years there should be no dealers left, right?  Wrong! All cops and prosecutors know that there have always been enough people desperate enough or greedy enough to make & sell drugs.  We also know that dealers accept, as a condition of employment, death and long prison terms.  Mandatory minimums in effect for 23 years have been a spectacular failure to make a dent in the number of dealers.    Cops always point to our prisons, saying all those dealers are selling nothing to our children.  True. What they never say, is that, according to the DEA brochure, “Drugs are readily available to America’s youth…” The only serious impact of arresting a dealer is the citizen becoming a victim to pay 30,000 per year for 20 years of jail time.  This often translates that the citizen cannot afford to send their kids to college because tuition is so high because States fund prisons better than colleges.

“Are you depressed enough?  Okay, I will stop. 

“Contact your politicians and tell them you want these illegal drugs sold in a state ABC type store with the same rules as whiskey, minus the advertising.   Let us eliminate all drug dealers in the country, reduce crime by 50%, raise the quality of life -especially in our cities, allow my colleagues to focus on the deadly DUI, child predators and people who fly airplanes into buildings.   Let us lower tuition in colleges by closing useless prisons.  If one day you or a loved one has a drug problem, see a doctor – not a judge.”

Today, Officer Howard Wooldridge heads up a task force in Washington, DC to educate and enlighten congressmen at the highest levels.  He works for a better future for all Americans. He can be reached at:  Education Specialist, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, www.leap.cc , Washington, DC.  He speaks at colleges, political clubs, Rotary, Kiwanis and Lions Clubs across America.  LEAP speakers in 36 states address this issue to citizens around the country to bring an end to the Drug War.  Check out the web site and join.  Book a speaker in your state! Wooldridge also presents at political conferences in Washington. wooldridge@leap.cc

The mission of LEAP is to reduce the multitude of unintended harmful consequences resulting from fighting the war on drugs and to lessen the incidence of death, disease, crime, and addiction by ultimately ending drug prohibition. 

“Envision a world where crime is cut in half, terrorists don’t make money selling drugs and kids are not employed in the drug trade,” Wooldridge said. “Envision a world where the police focus on DUI, child predators and terrorists.   Imagine a world where if you have a drug problem, you see a doctor not a judge. All are possible, when we find the courage to end our Prohibition.”

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