For every dollar of your tax money Obama puts toward treatment, two dollars are sent to guys like him.
(The Raw Story via InfoWars.com) “We’re not at war with people in this country,” [US Drug Czar Gil] Kerlikowske told The Wall Street Journal in May.
However, if the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s (ONDCP) budget for fiscal year 2011 is to be believed, Kerlikowske was full of hot air.
According to 2011 funding “highlights” released by the ONDCP (PDF link), the Obama administration is growing the drug war and tilting its funds heavily toward law enforcement over treatment.
The president’s National Drug Control Budget also continues the Bush administration’s public relations tactic of obscuring the costs of prosecuting and imprisoning drug offenders. “Enron style accounting,” is how drug policy reform advocate Kevin Zeese described it, writing for Alternet in 2002.
The budget places America’s drug war spending at $15.5 billion for fiscal year 2011; an increase of 3.5 percent over FY 2010. That figure reflects a 5.2 percent increase in overall enforcement funding, growing from $9.7 billion in FY 2010 to $9.9 billion in FY 2011. Addiction treatment and preventative measures, however, are budgeted at $5.6 billion for FY 2011, an increase from $5.2 billion in FY 2010.
In short, the Obama administration’s appropriations for treating drug addiction are just short of half that dedicated to prosecuting the war.
The problem, of course, is that when you have declared drugs to be illegal, you must expend resources to arrest, try, and convict the people who manufacture, transport, sell, buy, and use drugs. It’s really less about the the people who use drugs than it is about the people whose jobs depend on arresting the people who use drugs.
We’re in the middle of a recession. Jobless numbers are through the roof. If marijuana were regulated like alcohol or tobacco, you suddenly add a whole bunch of DEA, police, prosecutors, wardens, guards, and more to the unemployment line. Then add in the young people who have found marijuana growing and dealing to be the only living wage job they can find, now suddenly unemployed by marijuana re-legalization, and you’ll see unemployment figures that would guarantee an Obama re-election defeat in 2012.
Yes, a legal marijuana market would open up many jobs and industries and tax revenues heretofore unrealized, but transitioning to that market is going to take time. In the meantime, what jobs are open for former cops and pot dealers?
I bring this up to temper my disappointment in a man who in 2004 said our “War on Drugs is an utter failure and we need to rethink and decriminalize our marijuana laws” but in 2010 has turned into just another prohibitionist president.
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I don’t believe it would cause the massive unemployment being assumed in this article.
For one, crime will always be present and the need for law enforcement will always be needed. Don’t forget there are other crimes out there than just smoking a little weed. Say, if weed is legal, now police officers can focus on bigger, important issues. Like chasing down coke dealers and other hardcore drug dealers/addicts. So I don’t agree for a second that legalizing weed would put so many law enforcement agents out of a job. If anything it will give these agencies a chance to make our society that much better.
Secondly, for the pot dealers, legalization will probably be one of the best things to happen. They can now make a legal career out of what they know. By working in dispensaries and bringing in all those clients they already have. Just now, instead of working on the low and under the radar, they have a legitimate business that pays taxes and salaries. In addition, they already know what they are working with, how to measure and bag the stuff, so training will be a no-brainer.
I believe the factors mentioned should be taken into consideration, but we also need to look at the other alternatives and the “bright-side” of things. Marijuana in the Netherlands has been legal for quiet some time, and it doesn’t seem that they are having a problem with it being readily available.
So once and for all. LEGALIZE IT! When God took a look at his creation everything in it was made for US, He said all the meat and HERBS are for our consumption. Also, God said to follow the laws of the land, so long as they don’t go against Him. Does anyone see the fact that a plant as natural as the Sun on a Summer day being illegal an act against God? Aside from religion, so many people support its legalization it’s ridiculous. It’s about time we make a change. Obama promised change and if the people want this change to be the legalization of marijuana, they should have it and deserve it. Can we do it? YES WE CAN!!
This subject is one problem that could be considered a “chicken or egg” conundrum(a what comes first theory), the reasoning behind that particular statement is that one issue is no more or less important than the other in retrospect. As a country, we all should realize by now the need to give certain countenances toward the liquidation of government funding to our law enforcement, as well as the continuation of funding to rehabilitation centers and also the efforts in fixing our diminishing employment plight.
In my opinion, there isn’t “one” logical sense of rationalization that could be given, especially in the economic situation we are in now, to better solve such a sensitive subject. The process of switching gears as far as the issue of where we should spend a majority of the American tax payers revenue (to the law enforcement – individuals trained to protect and serve or treatment facilities – designed for drug addicts and created as a result of the governments lax disregard of drug trafficking laws by those who smuggle them into this country) isn’t something that I’m sure wasn’t brought to their attention already.
Its seems a little unfair to use a substance that is normally illegal anyway and say to the current administration that because of your reconsideration of an issue – that could have only been prevalent to situations caused by halfhearted efforts and/ political measures by levels of congress and/ past administration – that he had no hand in controlling to say that you are disappointed with his decision now. Even now as the president, there are degrees of federal government that even the president can’t supersede rank on. That is why we have a system of “Checks and Balances” that prohibit one power to make these decisions. Unfortunately, at the end of the day when fingers are being pointed, it seems that the only person that is being pointed is the one closer to the problem.
If there is to be any resolve in efforts of ratifying this problem it should be that we allow equal spending for both with stricter stipulations tacked along with it. I feel that we have to set the bar for the quality of services given to the American people. Also to insure that the amount of facilities that are being built are documenting the construction and the whereabouts of said facility for every citizen and for that information to be within a arms reach (whether it be online or otherwise).
Our congressmen are elected to serve as lobbyists to the federal government. We are limited to two senators and one member of the house. Corporations do not have these limits. They are allowed to hire as many lobbyists as money can afford. They constantly bombard our congressmen with demands that run counter to the will of the people. We have no voice in our government. Taxation without representation makes the authority of the government null and void. Our own supreme court has ruled in favor of fascism. They no longer honour the concepts that made America a free nation.
Four hundred years ago, a people so desperate for freedom that we left our homes, our families, our native lands, to come together to form a society that would reflect these concepts of freedom.
To no longer live in fear of a vengeful government bent on forcing compliance upon it’s people.
To no longer live with the threat of armed enforcers, invading our homes and committing TERRORIST ACTS against it’s own people.
I mourn for the death of freedom.
I mourn for the death of America.
Enjoy The Super Bowl! Go Saints!
The only solution to any of this is to talk with your friends and families about the issue. Come out of the cannabis closet and be loud and proud. Hell try to talk to peopel you don´t even know. The Stash keeps us informed with the facts to change anyones mind on the issue! Education is the only thing to end the reefer madness. I wish we could have a third progressive party to get behind because in general that is what the country needs right now. The two party system is horrible, and it negates the fact that their are more options to deal with our problems. I think we are all fed up with Democrats adn Republicans. I know I am starting to hate them both.
I like fester420 , think unless someone else comes along,our best shot is still with Pres.Obama….I am really really sad he has to be so slow.The second term he will have nothing to lose and hopefully he will supprise us.He has not forgot about all our brothers that are wasting away in a cell somewhere,I hope.(i do understand lobbiest can give one amnisia)I do believe one MUST keep holding feet to fire until he hears us..
It just seems like he dont hear us.Are we not YELLING LOUD ENOUGH!
We cannot let up for a second or the far right will be burning us on a stake !
He might as well forget his second term. We the people have been hurt enough by greedy investors and the war against us. This hits home to the majority of the U.S. citizens and we will stand up and fight for what is right! Sorry Obama, you lost my second vote.
Just like the economic crisis was met with outrageous funds given to the fatcat wealthy wall streeters, the feds are using funds to support current anti-cannabis jobs. That way, they can say they’ve saved more jobs!
How could anyone expect a second term for Obama would help our cause? His silence on the issue speaks volumes! As long as Big Pharma and other wealthy corporations fill the pockets of our lawmakers, prohibition will continue, and the drug cartels will profit.
The biggest thing about Obama winning and then doing this is that We the Marijuana consumers are the ones that got him elected. We are the internet community that every single time asks the number one question anytime Obama has an online town hall. But again we got him elected and they all best realize that we have a big part to play in elections and piss us off and you wont have a second term. We have to use that voting power to show them, we best get some respect and once we have caused a defeat like we will in 2012 voting this time against Obama, they will know we can make or break an election and you best not make fun of us, and lie to use anymore.
It is sad that Obama led us all to belive that he was for CHANGE . But when it comes to marijuana reform,we are in a non violent civil war with the goverement. We are recruting more and more soldiers to help spread the truth. There is hope, We are winning many small battles one at a time and we will win the war ! We need more voices. Don’t be afraid to talk about marijuana ,it just might supprize you how many people quietly support marijuana reform. So don’t be quiet , BE LOUD and BE PROUD !!
I agree whole heartedly Russ, but wouldn’t the DEA still be able to work? there is plenty of international drug trade for them to hunt down..and state and local officials aren’t going to be out of work (there are still going to be criminals) they will just have to find another way to fund their budget (sans Big Drug Money.) I personally don’t think the DEA should have ever been allowed to operate on domestic soil but should instead fight trafficking abroad. I guess that would be too much like work though.
Ya like always Russ tells it just right. As much as I hate the police state, Obama won´t put cops out of work unless he wants to loss in 2012. I still feel a second term Obama is our best hope for any decrim/legalization coming from the federal end of the govt. A first term Republican is not going to do anthing for sure!