Odds and Ends

“bullet” Tom Angell has been looking over the big appropriations bill in Congress. Here’s what he’s found so far (of course, this could still change).

• Drug Czar’s “anti-drug” ad budget is being slashed down to $60 million
  next year (down from $99 mil this year and considerably less than the
  President’s 2008 request of $130 mil).
• DC is now allowed to spend its own money on needle exchange (but is
  still barred from spending federal funds on the practice).
• DC is still barred from implementing the medical marijuana initiative
  passed by voters in 1998.
• ONDCP and other federal agencies are banned from producing video news
  releases (“prepackaged news stories”) unless they are clearly labeled as
  being prepared or funded by that agency (ONDCP got into a lot of trouble
  a few years ago for putting out “covert propaganda” (GAO’s term) in this
  form).
• Random student drug testing is funded at $10.8 million.

Thanks, Tom!
“bullet” Dutch Police Insist on Smoking Marijuana Off-Duty via Scott Morgan.
“bullet” Mark Kleiman talks about drugs on bloggingheads.tv
“bullet” Send the Right Message has Presidential Candidates report cards.
“bullet” An enjoyable read and a blast from history: Bill and Hillary’s Hippie Daze

It was, after all, 1971. It was, after all, Berkeley California. If the Clintons, during their first prolonged cohabitation, were at all “normal” for the time their evenings at home would have consisted of

1. rolling a fat doobie, probably three or four;
2. whipping up some chicken curry
3. smoking a fat doobie;
4. getting some dim candles going along with a stick of incense
5. putting on a tried and true series of records; and
6. hopping into bed and, as we said then, “balling” until they passed out.

“bullet” War on Drugs has unlikely foe

As a friend of presidents and hobnobber with governors, David Fleming makes an unlikely insurgent against the War on Drugs.
He’s been dubbed by a local business weekly as “The Valley’s Most Powerful Person,” chairs the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and doles out dollars to charity by the millions.
He works for one of the world’s largest law firms. He can preach for hours about business tax, government reform and transportation.
With his immaculate white shirts, slicked-back hair and easy familiarity with powerful people, Fleming embodies The Man. […]
The Man, a registered Republican and consummate insider, thinks the drug war is “stupid.”