Drug czar John Walters came to Iowa to praise the state for its fight against methamphetamine, but local drug officials expressed anger over the Bush administration's decision to shift funding from the meth battle to homeland security, the  Des Moines Register reported March 8.

Walters told Iowa officials that they still will have control over how the shifted funds are spent, but Des Moines Police Chief William McCarthy said: "That's just double-talk. We set priorities. We don't pit them against one another."

Under the Bush administration's 2007 budget, Iowa would lose about $12.7 million in federal criminal-justice funding, which pays for law enforcement as well as methamphetamine treatment. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said the cuts would decimate the state's drug-enforcement programs. State officials say they already have lost more than half of their funding for drug task forces and treatment programs because of federal budget cuts the past two years.

"This is being done to law enforcement in the name of homeland security," said Polk County Attorney John Sarcone. "But there really is no greater homeland security need than trying to stop our society from crumbling within."

Responded Walters: "Look, if these are really front-line and vital priorities, then leaders at all levels of government need to put first things first."

Walters, appearing with Gov. Tom Vilsack, commended Iowa for taking the lead to control smalltime meth labs by controlling sales of prescription drugs containing meth precursor chemicals. "You have given an enormous gift to the country," said Walters, adding that the nation has made progress in controlling meth chemicals internationally, as well. "In a sense, we have taken what you've done in Iowa and made it global."