Pubdate: Mon, 18 May 2009 Source: Dunn County News, The (WI) Copyright: 2009, Chippewa Valley Newspapers; a division of Lee Enterprises. Contact: http://www.dunnconnect.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3688 Author: Mel Saxton LEGALIZE EVERYTHING - THEN TAX IT For over two years, we have watched people jump up and down while chanting slogans. We saw billions spent on campaigns. We saw billions spent on unauthorized special interest advertising. We still could not pull a 70 percent voter turnout in November, and we voted the same career politicians back into office that had been there for multiple administrations. Following this election, where the only issues appeared to be gender, race and religion, we couldn't find candidates enough to fill the ballots in the spring elections. Finally, the week before the election, some people remembered there was an April election coming up. We got an overwhelming turnout of 11 percent. While the media and certain writers have tried to keep our focus on some perceived prize fight between Bush and Obama, the only things done were increasing government power and debt while catering to contributors and nonproducers. Targeted tax increases seem to be the order of the day. Gasoline, tobacco, soft drinks, alcohol, sugar, salt and marijuana are on the list, along with livestock farts. Why not solve all of our problems by legalizing everything - and then placing a targeted tax on each item based on its perceived evil. Think of the jail space we could free up while filling government coffers at the same time! Mel Saxton Menomonie - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom