Probably the weakest argument against Prop 19 — aside from those that are actually dishonest — is that its system of taxes and regulations might not turn out to be that great:
[T]he law could change hundreds of times from county to county. In Los Angeles County alone it could mean 88 different sets of regulations.
The proposition would have merited more serious consideration had it created a statewide regulatory framework for local governments, residents and businesses…
You know what else merits serious consideration? I mean, like, more serious than your fears about what local laws people might or might not pass? Try all those people getting shot in Mexico.
Here you are, Californians, wringing your hands over whether you’ll extract an optimum amount of tax money from marijuana, and whether you might not know if you’re in compliance with local regulations, and whether it should be big companies or small growing co-ops that provide it to you.
Meanwhile, people by the thousands are getting murdered right across the border in violence stemming substantially from the pot trade. Out of fear that your regulations might one day turn out to be difficult to understand, you may just let it continue. The moral blindness of prohibition is unfathomable to me.
But Jason, that happens on the other side of The Wall, so we can ignore it and still be Moral Upright Citizens.Report
You are so on the nose with this analysis that it is painful. Imagine some manner of legalization and control over the Afghan flower trade?Report
@bstr,
Just setting up a licensing regime in Afghanistan for licit medical opium might do a lot to help. I frankly don’t understand why this wasn’t a priority way back when we invaded.Report
If the Tea Party people actually gave a shit about things like this they would have an easier time of passing as advocates of liberty, rather than tribalists.Report
(stands up, starts clapping slowly and then clapping faster with tears running down his cheeks)Report
@Barrett Brown,
Indeed. The Tea Party’s general lack of interest in Prop. 19 would be dismaying if I had had higher hopes for them.Report
@Jason Kuznicki,
It was actually worse than apathy; more favorable impressions of the Tea Party look correlated with ‘No’ votes:
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2010/results/polls/#val=CAI01p2 (about half way down)Report