Tom Ammiano wants to legalize it!
California State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano of San Francisco is introducing legislation that will allow California to tax and regulate recreational marijuana use. Ammiano estimates that taxing marijuana would generate $1 Billion in state revenue per year.
As reported by the SF Weekly, California Assemblyman Tom Ammiano is introducing a bill in the California legislature to legalize and tax marijuana use. Ammiano argues that taxing marijuana will reduce police costs and raise revenue, helping to lift California out of its current financial crisis.
Ammiano told the press, “I know the jokes are going to be coming, but this is not a frivolous issue. California always takes the lead – on gay marriage, the sanctuary movement, medical marijuana.”
Ammiano is no stranger to controversy. He is an openly gay politician from San Francisco who appeared in the movie “Milk” as himself.
Though Ammiano’s bill is likely to be voted down in the legislature, his “marijuana tax” has already become an international story. Foreign papers, such as the Guardian, have reported the story.
Liberal sites like Swerve Left are applauding the idea. Many liberals have long supported the legalization of marijuana. They believe, quite wrongly, that legalizing drugs will reduce government costs and allow police to focus on more dangerous crimes. Even President Obama was open to legalization as late as 2007, as reported by MSNBC.
Legalization is totally misguided. The way to reduce crime is by strict quality of life enforcement against everyone who breaks the law, not by surrendering to petty criminals. Want to reduce crime? Arrest all the panhandlers, turnstile jumpers, vandals and kids smoking pot in the park. This sends the message that we live in a law-abiding society that has zero tolerance for crime. This is how they do it in Japan and Korea, two democratic societies that shame America when it comes to crime issues. The most dangerous city in Japan has less than half the crime of the safest city in America. Quality of life enforcement is what Giuliani did in New York, finally turning it into a livable city. It works.
#1 by HomerJA on February 25, 2009 - 6:12 pm
Legalize it – don’t criticize it
Legalize it and i will advertise it
(8) (8)
#2 by juxtapostle on February 28, 2009 - 12:00 am
Quality of life enforcement ?!?!
California has almost 160K souls in a prison system designed for less that 100K, and you want to put more people in prison?
Why punish pot users? Are people who use cannabis not as good as you? Is this modern day caste system working? Prohibition is fueled by the self-righteous persecution of those deemed lesser, and this is a form of violence.
Prohibition is the most deadly and expensive drug habit of all.
#3 by K on March 4, 2009 - 3:35 am
MARIJUANA GROWS UP TO 20 FEET A YEAR…REDUCE GLOBAL WARMING…REDUCE GLOBAL DISEASE THROUGH INCREASED OXYGEN…WHILE CONSUMING CO2…GROW WEED EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!
#4 by K on March 4, 2009 - 3:36 am
The civil war was started over states’ rights.The people of the south believed that they had the right to own slaves.A war was fought, Americans against Americans, because of this principle. Now a large percentage of Californians are consuming marijuana, and are tired of being treated like criminals.Marijuana may have some supposed health risks, but is it inhumane? It is the cure for bordom. It makes u laugh, and isn’t laughter the best medicine? Maybe someone doesn’t have a health plan, and can’t afford to get anti-depressents or pain medicine, so instead grit their teeth, wipe a tear, and smoke a joint….. Who stocks your shelves, who makes your burgers, who sells your liquor, who mowes your lawns,… who delivers your pizza, who digs your ditches,who works midnight shifts, through all the yawns,…who blows their money, all up in sm0ke,… could it be your moms? Taxation and legalization of marijuana is the only reasonable thing to do this broken economy. We tax many “legitimate” addictions …money, oil, cigs, commercial goods, and even hot food.
TO ANY FOLLOWERS OF THE HOLY BIBLE WHO DO NOT AGREE WITH THIS: CRACK OPEN YOUR BIBLE AND FLIP THROUGH THE FIRST FEW PAGES OF GENESIS. LOOK FOR SOMETHING ABOUT “GREEN HERBS BEARING SEED”.