Pot times July 20, 2005
With Drug Trade, Too Many Look Other Way
URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v05/n1145/a07.htmlNewshawk: chip
Pubdate: Tue, 19 Jul 2005 WITH DRUG TRADE, TOO MANY LOOK OTHER WAY
Source: Herald-Dispatch, The (Huntington, WV)
Copyright: 2005 The Herald-Dispatch
Contact:
letters@herald-dispatch.com
Website: http://www.hdonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1454
Author: Dolores J. Wallace
This is a reply to a recent column concerning the seizure of property from
landlords who rent to drug dealers.
There are other ways to do background checks on potential renters other than the
magistrates' office. It can be done on the Internet, by public records and
having the renter sign a release of information to check his/her background.
If he/she does not sign, don't rent. Also, there is eviction.
It's always better if someone else can be blamed. The police never have
been and never will be the answer to the drug problem. The answer is in
the people - their beliefs, hearts and minds. The drug problem is so bad
because too many people have looked the other way for far too long.
As a landlord, you reap the monetary benefits from owning property, and along
with this ownership comes responsibility to the neighbors and the community not
to rent to drug dealers. It's only the threat of losing money and property
that caused this landlord to speak out.
His comparison of this type of property seizure to the property seizure of the
Jews in Nazi Germany is absurd. These people lost not only their property,
but all their possessions, money, livelihood, for no reason whatever.
Six million Jews lost their lives because too many people looked the other way.
Dolores J. Wallace
Huntington
