Pubdate: Fri, 02 Sep 2011
Source: Daytona Beach News-Journal (FL)
Copyright: 2011 News-Journal Corporation
Contact:  http://www.news-journalonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/700
Author: Richard Calderwood

LEGALIZE DRUGS FOR ECONOMIC FIX

Here's a suggestion that would help stimulate this economy: Eliminate 
the ridiculous "war on drugs."

Legalize the drugs, regulate them and tax the heck out of them. Here 
we'd have a new source of revenue and stimulate a new income crop! 
Then use the billions wasted eradicating marijuana and coca crops, 
and putting people in jail for having "roaches" in their car 
ashtrays, to restart the Civilian Conservation Corps. Put people to 
work repairing our crumbling infrastructure, such as bridges and roads.

Maybe we could infuse money into high-speed rail. Or even build 
prisons to eliminate overcrowding and to house those who really 
deserve to be incarcerated.

Liquor is a billion-dollar industry in America, and the ending of 
Prohibition made that possible. People were drinking in spite of that 
law, and crime soared. People will always be tempted by pot and 
cocaine, and risk being labeled criminals. Maybe we should learn from history.

RICHARD CALDERWOOD, Palm Coast
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom