President's budget weakens meth fight (New York)

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The painful irony of the headline surely wasn't lost on Star-Gazette readers Friday morning: "Bush's budget may hurt Tiers meth fight."

The ensuing paragraphs told the rest of the story - the president's proposed budget would pare two sources of money used to fight methamphetamine manufacturing and trafficking in areas such as the Twin Tiers. Right below the story was the account of the murder trial of a Bradford County man convicted of shooting to death two sheriff's deputies trying to serve a warrant related to meth production on March 31, 2004.

Twin Tiers residents know all too well that meth isn't child's play. Maybe in Washington, such problems seem distant to an administration insulated inside a world of policies and spreadsheets. But in Northern Pennsylvania and New York's Southern Tier, meth is a dangerous and, as we know, life-threatening reality.

The president's budget would eliminate grants that fund drug task forces, which in a two-state region such as the Twin Tiers can have a serious impact on enforcement. Bush's budget also would reduce aid to local police agencies to help them hire additional officers, another blow to the attempt to put meth makers out of business.

Wisely, many in New York's congressional delegation realize the small-mindedness of the Bush proposal, and they plan to fight it. Among the president's opponents on the matter is Rep. John R. Kuhl Jr., R-Hammondsport, who frequently sides with the president.

But Bush has thumbed his nose at this issue with his budget. New York and Pennsylvania congressional members shouldn't take that. They should reverse the president's cuts and restore this money before meth burns more holes in people's lives.