J
contlnu
u
continu d from Pag 1
decide if th m ri of moving th
drug court � w rth it.
COU Commi ion r R. Me-
Kinley Elliott, R-Buchanan, id
the board would only approve a plan
to mov the drug court if tate law
allowed the county to terminate e -
sions of court if funding for the pro­
gram drie up.
"Otherwi e it' like being a little
bit pregnant," Elliot aid. "If the
funding for drug court were to be
. curtailed, the respective counties
would be required to continued fund­
. ing the court. I don't think we could
stop it."
The board at 0 would have to
decide' whether the deterrent effect
created by increased vi ibility can
off: et the costs of a drug court held
in Benton Harb r, aid County Com­
m nn th L. Wendzel, R­
Benton Harbor.
"I'm not certain it is. I think this
type f court i needed, but I'm t
certain we need to move it."
Detective Lt. Milton Agay of the
Benton Harbor. Police Department
said the city's Drug Operations and
Gand (DOGs) unit has made about
323 drug-related arrests in its first
year of operation.
The department formed the spe­
cial unit in September of 1990 in
reaction to a surge in crack cocaine
.trafflcking and violent crime that
began the year before.
"IN 1990 WE HAD 12
homicides," Agay aid. "We have a
population of about 12,000 people.
That means there was orte murder for
every thousand people."
The Berrien ·County Sheriff
De par t men t ' N arc 0 tics Un it
reported 263 drug arrests in the coun­
ty last year. Lt. Mike Renkawitz said
FOOD
Continued from Page 1
staff persons and came from the
state's general fund.
Other personnel in the
Department of Education have
picked up those duties, Turscott said.
Mahaffey. who could not be
reached by press time, wrote in a Jan.
22 letter to the editor, "The Attorney
General 'is now examining whether
or not the Governor can do a line
item veto, as in this case. Until the
Attorney General rules, the state has
been continuing to pass out the food.
about 80 P rcent f the drug trade
travel into Berrien County along 1-
94 from Detroi t.
Both officers agree that the new
drug court h been effective.
Agay aid pro ingoffenders in
the convention 1 y tern tak much
longer than fa t-tracking them
through the drug court.
"We've arrested people on drug
charges, th y go into the ystem and
get out on bail," Agay aid. "Then
we arrest them again on drug charges
while they're out waiting for a trial
that's ix to nin months away."
"That doe n't happen now .
They're arre ted and in 30 days
they're on the way to prison," he
aid.
Rep. Robert Brackenridge, R­
St. Joseph, the bill's pon or,
believes that an amendment passed
with the original bill will relieve con­
cerns over closing new court loca­
tions. T v ion approved by t
House would allow commissioners
and the State Supreme Court to re­
evaluate the n ed for courts at time
intervals et by both bodies.
WENDZELAND ELLIOT said
a court held in Benton Harbor would
be more expensive than keeping ses­
sions at the St. Joseph and Niles
,facilities. Suspects would have to be
transported from jails in S1. Joseph
and the county might have to
renovate a facility for holding ses-
ions.
Since the drug court began opera­
tions in October, Chief Circuit Court
Judge Ronald Taylor said 63 cases
have been processed. Of tho e cases,
only two have gone to trial.
The bill met with almost over­
whelming approval in the 93-1 vote.
The bill has to be reviewed by the
Senate and Gov. John Engler before
it becomes law, but Brackenridge
said he is optimistic about the bill's
chances of surviving.
INCOME TAX PREPARATION
III
•••
However, by the end of the second
quarter of the year (June 30, 19(2) if
the Attorney General rules that the
Governor legally can exercise that
line item veto, the state will lose up
to 14 1n. million in commodities. If
he does not rule, the people still lose
the food."
According to Mahaffey, by law
the legislature and the governor must
agree to accept the federal money for
these co ts. And the governor by his
veto of the staff distributor, did not
accept the food, Mahaffey argues.
R
CORD
FREE ELECTRONIC FILING*
I
o Saunders, D­
Detroit, id the bill d more
comprehensive, regul tor language
when dealing with what goes into the
r te tructure before it p ses
. through the House. He said in­
urance compani are not cooperat-
in . 5\1 o�:�\C�
"All of Detroit i urban" �\C� .��ft{:t
Sunders id. "How do you draw �"f "f'1 �"o' �
territorial lin ? R idents of the t f�,,� o';t c.." Acft,." ..
smaller sections end up picking up ,,\0 cEtt1£
all of the debt." "\
Saunders is in favorofpa sing the •
bill.and believes tbat it l very po - _·-_Four Convenient Locations To Serve You __ ---,
ible. HIGHLAND PARK/WEST SIDE NORTHWEST SIDE
Speakers of the House Lewis
Dodak, D-Birch Run, said he wants
a 20 percent cut in insurance rates
throughout Michigan, wi thout a
reduction in benefits.
"Insurance companie have
gouged consumers over the last two
decades, to he aid.
DODAK AID it is not impos­
sible to reduce rates without cutting
benefits. He wants a concrete plan
for the bill by mid .. February.
"The- i tiekin are
getting pressed for time," he aid.
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