Equal Protection Under the Law
By Carol
Fondiller
Jeb Bush, bro of our
coronated President George the III, and Governor of that land of the hanging
chad, might be fighting eviction whether or not re-elected this
November.
It seems one of his daughters was caught
for the second time with crack cocaine. She was going through rehab while she
was on probation. Previously either she or her twin sister had tried to get a
forged prescription filled.
Aside from
the obvious disparity of how the children of the affluent and influential are
treated, as opposed to the way some black or brown kid from 7th and California
would be treated –what rehab center—what parole-straight to juvenile
hall or prison for that kid for a mandated term of 10 years (depending on the
state).
Recently a law was enacted
specifically for low-income residents of public housing and the tenants of HUD
subsidized housing. The law goes something like this: If you are a resident of
HUD housing or public housing and a friend, visitor, relative, child is arrested
for possession of illegal drugs, not only can that person end up in jail, but
the tenant in subsidized housing can be evicted after only one time.
An entire family can be evicted even
if the offender is not in the neighborhood and if the family knew nothing of the
illegal activities. 73 year old grandmothers, battered women in fear of their
spouses, stroke victims whose health-care providers have been found with drug
paraphernalia are being evicted under this “one strike” eviction
policy. Los Angeles has evicted over 300 tenants.
This action was supposedly one of the
weapons in the war on drugs. The U.S. Supreme Court voted unanimously to uphold
the law. The George Bush administration put the policy into effect in 1991. In
1996 congress broadened the policy to include drug activity “on or
off” the premises. President Clinton announced the “one strike and
you’re out” policy to enforce the law. Supreme Court Chief Justice
Rehnquist said nothing in the constitution prevents public housing authorities
from enforcing the policy. Tenants are on notice because it’s written in
their leases.
Certainly some action
should be taken to evict the family Bush from their Florida Governor’s
mansion since it is subsidized housing. George Dubya should also be served with
an eviction notice from his publicly subsidized mansion because his niece was
caught with illegal drugs “on or off” the housing project premises.
And what about homeowners who have federally insured mortgages and loans? And
tax breaks? What about the for-profit developers who rake in tax breaks whose
friends or relatives are caught naked toking on a doobie while dancing to
“I shot the sheriff?”
Gee
maybe dreams do come true.
Posted: Tue - October 1, 2002 at 05:12 PM