18/08/2007 00:00:00
US: Marijuana Dealers Offer State of California One Billion Dollars
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The Marijuana Economy is Tax-Free
This news release comes from LetUsPayTaxes.com and is being circulated
by our friends at stopthedrugwar.org
A coalition of California marijuana growers and dealers has offered
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger one billion dollars to solve the current
state budget crisis. The group, calling itself Let Us Pay Taxes, makes
the offer through its web site LetUsPayTaxes.com. The offer comes at a
time when the California legislature is deadlocked on a new budget and
California has stopped issuing checks for vitally needed social
services. Legislators are currently arguing over which programs will be
cut in order to balance the budget.
"It is ridiculous that California can't pay its bills," said spokesman
Clifford Schaffer. "It is a tragedy that they will cut badly needed
services and programs such as medical care for the elderly and prison
drug treatment when the money to fund all these programs and more is
there and available. Everyone who is currently waiting for a check from
the state should be enraged at this foolishness."
Regulation and taxation of marijuana could produce six billion dollars
in additional tax revenue, according to economic studies linked from
LetUsPayTaxes.com. In addition, it could save up to ten billion dollars
in enforcement costs. "That is a conservative estimate," said Schaffer.
"By other estimates, the revenues could be five times that. The
economists are with us all the way on this one. Marijuana prohibition is
an economic disaster."
"Let's face reality," Schaffer says. "Marijuana legalization is
inevitable. The situation is already beyond control in California. The
state and local authorities have offered safe harbor for medical
marijuana use and the Federal Government simply doesn't have the
resources for effective control." More importantly, says Schaffer, the
operators of the medical marijuana clubs are no longer afraid of the
Federal Government. "If you talk to them, you will find that they know
they are going to win this battle. They know that the DEA is vastly
outnumbered and can't begin to prosecute all of them. The few that are
prosecuted are accepting their fate as martyrs because they know that
what they are doing is right. They are willing to sacrifice themselves
to make the point that the Federal Government has just gone too far in
interfering with very personal and private decisions. There is no way
the DEA is going to win this battle. At this point, it is all over but
the counting of the money -- and the victims of the DEA."
Schaffer went on to say that the national market for marijuana has been
estimated from a low of ten billion dollars per year to more than fifty
billion dollars per year. "The first states to regulate and tax
marijuana will receive an economic bonanza bigger than the original
California Gold Rush," says Schaffer. "Some states will get rich like
the Saudis." Schaffer predicts that it will not take long for some local
areas to wake up to the economic possibilities. "We are talking
potentially big bucks here," he said. "The Canadians are already
starting to take note of a cannabis-fueled economic boom in some areas.
Politicians can't resist fresh cash, especially when it is coming to
their local community. There will be big winners and losers here. The
winners will be the ones who recognize the foregone conclusion first."
The group also cites foreign terrorism as a reason to regulate and tax
marijuana. "Drug Czar John Walters is being dishonest when he says that
marijuana money goes to criminals and terrorists. The only reason any of
that money goes to criminals or terrorists is because of the prohibition
that Walters supports," said Schaffer. "Marijuana prohibition makes
criminals rich just like alcohol prohibition did. The criminals are now
so rich and powerful that they can challenge the legitimate governments
of their own countries. There is no reason to send billions of dollars
per year to foreign criminal gangs when patriotic Americans make the
best products in the world. There is no reason to suffer such a huge
foreign trade deficit when that money could be providing jobs and
funding badly needed services right here in the USA."
Let Us Pay Taxes calls upon all US citizens to sign their petition at
their web site http://LetUsPayTaxes.com and press the issue with their
lawmakers. "Take the money, please," said Schaffer. "These people want
to contribute. Now it is up to our politicians to tell us why they want
to send those billions to foreign criminal gangs rather than to their
own voters."
http://www.progress.org/2007/drc72.htm
Source:
http://www.ukcia.org/news/shownewsarticle.php?articleid=12798
Author:
The Progress Report via UKCIA
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