From: [C--a--r] at [IslandNet.com] (Matt Elrod) Newsgroups: talk.politics.drugs,rec.drugs.cannabis Subject: In the news Date: 17 Jul 1996 15:31:24 -0700 More than 10 aides or applicants in President Clinton's White House had illicit drug histories that concerned the Secret Service, a supervisor testified in Congress today. ``The only thing I can recall is that it was more than 10,'' Secret Service Special Agent Arnold Cole testified when asked if there were 18 or 20 such cases. When asked if the Secret Service raised concerns that had to be answered before the aides or applicants could get White House passes, Cole replied: ``That is correct.'' The White House had no immediate comment. =========== President Clinton has announced an election-year program to get 50,000 cellular phones to community crime watch groups. He says it will help level the playing field with criminals. ``When drug dealers wear pagers, and gang members have cell phones, I think it's time we put high technology on the side of law and order,'' Clinton said in announcing the plan. The phones are being donated by regional cell phone companies that are members of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association. =========== Authorities say 15 New York police officers have been charged with income tax evasion in a scheme in which some wrote to the IRS claiming the government had no right to tax them. U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White says the fact that the defendants are police officers sworn to uphold the law makes the charges all the more galling and offensive. White says the scheme was led by two officers who are charged with conspiring from 1992 until last month to recruit and advise other police officers against paying federal income taxes. Some of the officers, whose salaries are paid with tax money, claimed they do not recognize the United States as a legal entity. =========== The U.S. decision to revoke Colombian President Ernesto Samper's visa may be helping, not hurting, Samper's politicial viability. Reuters reported July 12 that a poll finds that most Colombians are offended by the U.S. decision. Also, the usually conservative El Espectador newspaper calle the visa revocation "an outrage." "It doesn't matter if the U.S. State Department says this is a personal problem with Samper and has nothing to do with the Colombian people," El Espectador said. "The country feels wounded, humiliated and like a new victim of intervention in apparently independent countries that are subject nonetheless t the law of the strongest." The paper said that 65 percent of poll responsdents rejected the move against Samper, while 68 percent said ther U.S. was intervening in Colombia's internal affairs. Samper intends to travel to New York in September to address the United Nations even if he does not have a visa, government officials said. =========== The U.S. and Mexico will jointly fight the war on drug trafficking, according t Gen. Barry McCaffrey, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). Reuters reported July 11 that McCaffrey said that the U.S. will give Mexico training, information and equipment to fight drugs from flowing over the border "The program is imperative because the threat to Mexican and U.S. sovereignty i enormous," said McCaffrey. "This is something neither one of us can do on our own." McCaffrey said a five-year plan would be developed with Mexican officials. "These well-organized narco-traffickers are posing a threat to democratic institutions on both sides of the border," McCaffrey said. "If we don't confront them together we will lose our freedom." =========== An Illinois school teacher is appealing to Gov. Jim Edgar to issue him a pardon for a 22-year-old marijuana offense. Michael Maynard was fired from his teachin job after the drug conviction came to light. UPI reported July 12 that Maynard, now 42, was fined $100 on a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge in 1974. He was fired when a background check by Bloom Township High School in Chicago Heights unearthed records of Maynard's guilty plea. "I did use it," said Maynard. "My unfortunate thing was I got caught. That was a mistake. I'm sorry it happened. I don't do drugs now. I haven't done drugs in more than 20 years. I am not a drug user, so therefore I should be in the classroom." A review board will make its recommendation to Edgar on Maynard's petition in about two weeks. Maynard's employer said he would have to have his record expunged and obtain a pardon before it considers rehiring him.