Mumpower deserves backing for tough stance on drugs

by Jeff Goss
published January 16, 2007 12:15 am


I am writing in response to the article, “Mayor: Mumpower’s actions are ‘overstepping’ boundaries,” (AC-T, Jan. 7), by Adam Behsudi.

It is a fact that Asheville City Councilman Carl Mumpower has taken on hard drugs and their dealers almost single-handedly, save for a few concerned citizens and some good folks at the Chamber and in school administration. But I don’t think that he is tackling this project alone by choice; I happen to know he welcomes help from anyone willing, especially the city and police department.


Mumpower has spent his time heading a weekly meeting as chairman of the Asheville-Buncombe Drug Commission, with a mission to eliminate hard drugs and their dealers from our homeland. He has organized countless walks in drug-ridden neighborhoods to protest the dominance of drug dealing, often with children within sight, and orchestrated educational forums in schools and neighborhoods. Mum-power has spent countless hours creating and printing posters and billboards, and campaigning to help steer the vulnerable teen away from drugs, offering a reward to those who turn in a “hard drug” dealer.

Is Mumpower overstepping his boundaries? Maybe overstepping his own personal boundaries by giving too much of his personal time and money to campaign against the force of “hard drug dealers.” Meanwhile, little if any of our high property taxes are being spent on this rising problem to prevent Asheville from becoming like other larger metropolitan areas, steeped in drug dealers and the crime that goes along with it.

Link to Entire Artice at Asheville Citizen-Times

Commentary

Hold on Dr. Mumpower, reinforcements are on the way!