BUSH SAID...
>    AUSTIN-Saying the federal government has a "critical responsibility to
> enforce our nation's drug laws," Texas Governor George W. Bush today proposed a
> S50 million initiative to help border communities prosecute drug crimes.
>
>    "The federal government has a critical responsibility to enforce our nation's
> drug laws and to stop international drug traffickers," Governor Bush said. " In
> our battle against the international drug trade, the Southwest border is the
> front line. Much of the burden from this -national battle falls on border
> counties, whose limited resources are already stretched thin. The federal
> government must step up and do its part."
>
>    The Southwest border is a major corridor for the importation of marijuana,
> cocaine and-heroin into the United States. The five federal court districts that
> serve that border region now:handle one-fourth of all federal court criminal
> -filings, and criminal cases filed in federal courts in the region have jumped
> dramatically in recent years- Each year, federal prosecutors "refer" thousands
> of cases to local prosecutors rather than prosecute them in federal court.
> Almost none of these counties is reimbursed for the prosecution and
> pre-conviction incarceration of these criminals.

>    Governor Bush's Southwest Border Initiative will:

- Provide $ 50 million in annual federal funds to reimburse border counties
> for prosecuting federal drug referrals.
> - Direct U.S. Attorneys on the Southwest border to prosecute large drug cases
> in federal court. While it may be a reasonable allocation of resources to allow
> local jurisdictions to prosecute smaller cases, current referral standards of up
> to 200 pounds of marijuana arc clearly too high- Prosecution of large
> international drug traffickers is a federal responsibility.
> Appoint a Southwest Border Coordinator to lead a joint federal-state
> partnership and coordinate drug enforcement and prosecution efforts along the
> Southwest border. The Coordinator would be responsible for working with federal
> and local agencies and prosecutors to implement a strategic plan to address
> illegal drug traffic.
>
AND GORE'S RESPONSE WAS...

His likely Democratic opponent, Vice President Al Gore, has defended the
> Clinton Administration's drug fighting efforts. He said the number of border
> patrol agents has more than doubled, and billions more in federal money has
> been committed to the battle during the administration's watch.