A Modest Proposal
While Mr. Bush insists that his tax cuts will eventually improve the overall
economy I can suggest expanding an existing tax that would provide immediate
and significant improvement to all aspects of our economy.
I understand the concept of taxation is an anathema to this administration
but politicians know a sin tax is not a real tax. The ever rising Federal tax on hard
liquor and tobacco products shows even a Republican can get behind a sin tax.
This is not a new tax, the legislation for this source of revenue has been in
place since the nineteen thirties. American taxpayers are currently paying for
bureaucrats to implement and administer this tax, but this administration and the
lobbyists that tell congress how to vote, refuse to consider expanding this source
of revenue.
While taxes in general are unpopular, polls show that 19.6 million
Americans (N.O.R.M.A.L,2002) would willingly pay this tax. If expanded this tax
could create 14.7million jobs (FBI 2000/Employment Council Netherlands 2001).
A tax that could save the family farm, lessen oil imports and clean up the
environment. A tax that could lessen the strain on American forests, A tax that
could reduce Federal, State, and local expenses by 250 billion dollars (DEA
2001); annually. Not savings over a ten year period, but this year and every year.
What is this under used sin tax the Congress won??t discuss; The
Marihuana Tax Stamp Act of 1936. We should have learned our lesson with
Prohibition. Denying the population the harmless recreational compounds they
want leads to criminals supplying them. Innocent citizens get killed or poisoned
while the criminals battle for control of the market.
The internationally accepted scientific evidence shows that cannabis is not
a ??gateway?? drug and manipulating the statistics to ??prove? otherwise is both
inaccurate and a disservice to the American people. Independent surveys show
that 76 million Americans admit to having smoked Cannabis; those numbers
alone disprove the administrations claims. In places where soft drugs are
regulated the number of hard drug addicts has dropped and the cost of medical
care for the remaining individuals has been more than made up by the direct
revenue from taxing and regulating soft drugs.
If you really want to control your borders and lower drug usage you need
to get control. You can??t legislate a ban on auto accidents and then take your
hands off the wheel. When alcohol is regulated on a state and local level there is
minimal criminal activity and no violence among the suppliers. To allow a review
cannabis laws in the United States and allow individual States to decide if they
want to be ??Dry? or ??Wet?, in the alcohol vernacular, has the potential to put
hundreds of billions of dollars into other sectors of the economy. That is a real
stimulus package. Future tax breaks cannot compare to these immediate
benefits.
The eighteenth amendment failed because the majority of American did
not support the law, the war on drugs is failing for the same reason. Persecuting
20 percent of our population is destructive to our country and our economy.
Cannabis laws are unenforceable and only serve to make small group of
smugglers and politicians very wealthy
By emerging from the 1930??s and accepting the 21st century the
Administration could give the entire economy serious sustainable growth. After all
it??s not the hemp that cause the violence, it??s the money. Let??s take the money
away from the criminals and build a better country.
doctor G Reviewed by doctor G on . A Modest Proposal A Modest Proposal While Mr. Bush insists that his tax cuts will eventually improve the overall economy I can suggest expanding an existing tax that would provide immediate and significant improvement to all aspects of our economy. I understand the concept of taxation is an anathema to this administration but politicians know a sin tax is not a real tax. The ever rising Federal tax on hard liquor and tobacco products shows even a Republican can get behind a sin tax. This is not a new Rating: 5