Ken,
Actually I'm not as surprised as you might think. By legalizing drugs, and taxing them heavily, a portion of the budget deficit could be addressed. Also, by treating drug abuse problems as a medical or psychological issue, a large portion of the prison population would go away, and IMHO, prisons often serve as training centers for criminal behavior. I don't have figures on this, but it seems like it would be a lot less expensive to treat drug users (offenders?) in the community rather than in the penal system.
There was a guy who was arrested in the DC area in the late summer or early fall for possession of marijuana and was sentenced to ten days in jail because he couldn't afford to pay the fine, and also because there was a handgun in the vehicle. The guy was like a C-3 or C-4 quadriplegic, so it wasn't like he was going to shoot anyone. The DC jail system wasn't able to adequately address his medical needs (respirator at night, need for suctioning), so the guy died while he was in custody.
This is a link to the article in New Mobility Magazine where I read about it.
http://www.newmobility.com/review_article.cfm?id=939&action=browse
We agree on two things in one day?!! I'm a radical/liberal by Wyoming standards, but in California, I'd be considered "another damned redneck."
Kendall
I believe in an open mind, but not so open that your brains fall out.
-Arthur Hays Sulzberger
-----Original Message-----
From: ken barber [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 12:16 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: if you're against the iraqi war...
you will probably be surprised to know that i favor
legalizing drugs. i am somewhat hart to get a fix on.
--- Kendall David Corbett <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Ken,
>
> So do I, but a guy can dream can't he?
>
> Re: the US "not using our Constitution." I couldn't
> agree more. First you and Mag agreed, and now you
> and I? It's cold here today, but I didn't think it
> was quite so cold that Hell had frozen over! ;-{)}
>
> Kendall Corbett
>
> An unreasonable man (but my wife says that's
> redundant!)
>
> The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the
> unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the
> world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on
> the unreasonable man.
> -George Bernard Shaw 1856-1950
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ken barber [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Monday, January 03, 2005 7:59 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: if you're against the iraqi war...
>
> well it might if they did not double up the next 3
> days. i really doubt that half of that 57 million
> would/will take part.
>
> --- Kendall David Corbett <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> > Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2005 13:16:48 -0500
> >
> > From: Meir Weiss <[log in to unmask]>
> >
> > Subject: Re: if you're against the iraqi war...
> >
> >
> >
> > Do you realize what a <<proper>> boycott of oil is
> >
> >
> >
> > All plastics.
> >
> >
> >
> > Think about THAT one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> >
> >
> >
> > M
> >
> >
> >
> > Meir,
> >
> >
> >
> > For me, and most of us, going a day without using
> > plastics would be impossible, but we might be able
> > to handle going a day without buying plastics by
> > going a day without buying anything. While a
> longer
> > boycott would be more effective, I think a 3 day
> > boycott could be felt by a lot of manufacturers,
> > especially if a number equal to ½ the people who
> > voted for Kerry/Edwards participated. According
> to
> > CNN, the Kerry/Edwards ticket received 57,288,974
> > votes. If half that number of people
> participated
> > in a 3 day boycott, and only spent an average of
> $10
> > per day, that would be a total of $859,334,610.
> > That number might not be really significant in its
> > impact on GDP, but it should be noticeable on a
> > statistical basis.
> >
> >
> >
> > Kendall Corbett
> >
> >
> >
> > An unreasonable man (but my wife says that's
> > redundant!)
> >
> >
> >
> > The reasonable man adapts himself to the world;
> the
> > unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the
> > world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends
> on
> > the unreasonable man.
> >
> > -George Bernard Shaw 1856-1950
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
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