[betty boop]

Alas, applying special taxes to sins puts government squarely in the sin business.

Thought that might get your attention, Brother A. I just honestly believe that the social pathologies would be far less under a decriminalization regime than what we have under the status quo: high rates of drug-related crimes against life and property; street gangs; political and law-enforcement corruption; grotesquely unequal sentencing regimes, state-to-state; the destabilization of foreign nations; revenues to international terrorism, etc., etc. People are responsible for their own life choices, and most people can handle the challenge. People will object: Oh, but what about the chillun'???? Hey, it's the parents' responsibility to raise their children in decency, not the feds'.

Who knows? tax receipts from a regulated trade would probably go a long ways toward balancing the federal budget. Maybe folks' income tax rates could be reduced -- even better, maybe the FIT could be abolished altogether, and we could get a nice, low NST instead.... Plus you know the rule: Whenever you tax something, you get less of it. And I don't think decriminalization by itself would boost demand. Finally, if people sin, they have to answer to an Authority far higher than the federal government, it seems to me.

[unspun]

Nations have to answer as well as individuals. Law is a moral teacher, in its first priority. Arguments such as you've listed about drugs have been made for legalized abortion and casinos, and for legal prostitution (see Nevada -- Montana too, is it? -- I don't recall). Special taxes on alcohol and tobacco have placed the perpetuation and promulgation of their use into the list of government interests. In Minnesota and Pennsylvania, alcoholic beverages are sold in state stores. That kind of socialist approach is the next step, just as Gov. Blago in Illinois is said to be entertaining a state takeover of Illinois casinos. Also at heart, gangs are more about growing up fatherless than about drugs.

I'd prefer not to have maryjane and cocaine sold at the corner Walgreens and 7-11 (or the corner state store) thank you anyway. ;-`

[unspun]

Do you have TV ads for state lotteries in Massachusetts?

A state that makes money from a vice is like a camel's head in the tent for mass merchandising that vice (one thing we do very, very well in this country).