Oregon state officials admit that a 2020 ballot measure to decriminalize drugs has failed, BizPacReview reports. Overdoses are skyrocketing and appropriated funds remain unspent.
Testimony before the House Committee on Behavior Health on Thursday painted a grim picture of Oregon’s efforts to encourage self-help in lieu of incarceration.
This is one year after they decided to become the first state to do it.
“When the voters of Oregon passed Measure 110, we did so because it was a change of policy in Oregon to improve the lives of people, to improve our communities,” Secretary of State Shemia Fagan testified. “And in the years since, we haven’t seen that play out. Instead… we’ve seen the problem with drug addiction get worse.”
Republican state Rep. Lily Morgan said her community had seen a 700% increase in overdoses and a 120% increase in deaths, The Washington Examiner reports.
WE NEED MORE REALISTS IN GOVERNMENT
This is as fentanyl and other horrendous killer drugs pour into the country with cartels and illegal immigrants. Illegals often pay for their passage by working for cartels until their debt is paid. Cartels exploit their desperation.
The officials in Oregon clearly don’t understand the nature of addiction. After a while, addicts want to be addicted at some level. Forced rehab might work. Giving them more access doesn’t. It is just enabling them. It’s as if the Left has given up on these people.
So, they wanted people to have the freedom to do whatever drugs they want, but are surprised they are OD’ing on whatever drugs they can get instead of getting help.
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If people would only get past ideology and look at reality. If they only used their common sense. So many things seem like a great idea but don’t work in practice. Take bail reform. Bail reform is like debtor’s prison some say, and minority criminals are affected the most. True. However, in real life, not keeping them in jail is creating more crime and more victims. More minorities are affected, not solely because of resources but because they are criminals or addicts. For example, 54% of the murders in this country are committed by African American youth. We need to look at this seriously and deal with the problems of gangs and reckless parenting.
When no one is raising the children, they join gangs.
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