County budgeted money to reform drug laws

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Posted on Fri, May. 12, 2006

County budgeted money to reform drug laws

Myrtle Beach Online
Associated Press

CHARLESTON, S.C. - The chairman of the Charleston County Council said he was appalled the county put $500 in its budget to support a group that wants to reform South Carolina's drug laws.

Leon Stavrinakis said he recently became aware of the money that another council member directed to South Carolinians for Drug Law Reform.

"I'm appalled by it," Stavrinakis said. "I wish I had known."

Councilman Henry Darby said he supported the donation because the state's drug laws need to be changed.

In the past, the entire county council agreed on contributions to nonprofit groups such as the Special Olympics, churches and small community centers.

Now, council is elected from single-member districts and this year's $430,650 for outside groups was divided among the members who decided which groups to support.

Darby, a member of the drug reform group, supports medical marijuana use for terminally ill patients.

He also said prison sentences in South Carolina are stiffer for crack cocaine users, who tend to be poor, than for users of heroin or powdered cocaine, who often come from the upper or middle class.

"I would never concur with legalizing drugs for the sole sake of usage," Darby said, adding the reform group feels treatment is better than punishment.

The $500 request was made by Sharon Fratepietro when she was head of the reform group last year. She said the money was to be used to lobby lawmakers but a drug reform bill was never drafted.

She said the money will be returned because "it doesn't look like anything is going to be happening."

During a Thursday meeting of the county council's Finance Committee, members suggested there need to be changes in the system, although the $500 contribution was not discussed.

"There have been some really bad decisions made in some spending," Stavrinakis said. "I don't like this system."

Councilman Curtis Bostic said the county should consider scrapping all contributions this year and reconsider them next year. Some council members questioned whether some of the recipients are really nonprofit groups.

"We've been making mistakes for many, many years," Councilman Teddie Pryor added.


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Information from: The Post and Courier, http://www.charleston.net