Pubdate: Sat, 28 Jul 2001 Source: Summit Daily News (CO) Copyright: 2001 Summit Daily News Contact: http://www.summitdaily.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/587 Author: Mike Plylar MORALES ONE OF THE GOOD ONES I'd like to commend Sheriff Joe Morales for his honesty in "Summit County's Drug Trafficking Volume Debated" (July 24). How refreshing to read that he had the audacity to call a spade, a spade. When money's to be had, the others you quoted went into their "drug epidemic" song and dance. Pump up the numbers and whine ad nauseam, but not Sheriff Morales. He calls it as he sees it. It's dishonest to take money from the taxpayers you really don't need, but it didn't seem to bother the other local bureaucrats. Honesty in law enforcement is an absolute requirement, and Sheriff Morales demonstrated that at least someone locally won't lie for money. I congratulate the voters of Summit County for electing him. Sheriff Morales joins a short list of honest lawmen in Colorado, who refuse to do just about anything for cash. Sheriff Bill Masters of San Miguel County is another officer who values his credibility more than money, but unfortunately, the list grows shorter with each passing day. Money corrupts, but nowhere so clearly as in the "War On Drugs." I think most of these other bureaucrats would call Mother Theresa a "crackhead" if they thought it would add a dime to their already bloated budgets. HIDTA? Does that spell pork or does it just smell like it? Mike Plylar - --- MAP posted-by: Beth