Platform Defense

Rich Tosches’ column ridiculing my state Senate platform (“Legalize Street Drugs? Pack Up That Idea and Ship It to the Moon,” Times Valley Edition April 11) not only misquotes me egregiously but misses the point entirely.

He admits that he doesn’t want to take heroin, whether it be legal (and cheap) or not. That is the point--99% of us do not want to take heroin. We are afraid of its addictive qualities, are not searching for chemical euphoria and just want to go about our lives.

So legalizing heroin likely would not significantly increase the percentage of people using it. And we could tax legal heroin and other substances of abuse at a rate that would make the users pay for any “victims.”

Currently, it is us non-using taxpayers who have to pay for what treatment programs exist. And prisons. And courts. And extra judges. This is costing us billions. Non-users pay again in higher crime, higher insurance rates, fear and living in a society where distrusting each other is all too reasonable.

We can accept that some people want to use substances that are bad for them and make sure they know the stuff is bad. Then, if they want to use it anyway, let them pay a rational price for the stuff, and pay sufficient tax to cover the negative consequences.

GARY KAST

Panorama City

Kast is the Peace and Freedom Party Candidate for the 20th District state Senate seat.